Responsible Retail

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The onus is on the sector to transform an appearance of bricks, mortar and profit to one of culture and purpose

Can sustainability help retailers overcome a 'trust deficit'?

EXCLUSIVE: With the retail sector battling against low trust-levels, high-street closures and a transition to e-commerce, delegates at edie's Responsible Retail conference claimed that embedding sustainability as part of a holistic brand purpose can drive prosperity for businesses.

edie's insight editor George Ogleby launched the report at the 2018 edie Responsible Retail event

Responsible Retail: edie launches sector insight report at conference

edie has this week launched a new report providing an in-depth look at the practical steps that can be taken by sustainability professionals in the retail industry to achieve a sustainable future, today.

Mission Possible: Achieving a sustainable future for RETAIL

The second in our brand-new sector insight report series provides an in-depth exploration of the steps that sustainability and energy professionals within Britain's retail industry can take to achieve a sustainable future, today.

The free app was launched to mark World Day Against Trafficking after a rise in the number of calls to the Modern Slavery Helpline

BT teams up with Unseen to launch modern slavery reporting app

Communications giant BT has partnered with anti-trafficking charity Unseen to launch an app that lets users report concerns in confidence of potential cases of modern slavery.

The batteries will store energy generated from the centre's rooftop solar array

Kingfisher to install battery storage at B&Q distribution centre

Home improvement retail giant Kingfisher has announced (30 July) that it will install energy storage facilities at one of its B&Q distribution centres as part of its overall goal to become a net-positive business by 2050.

Late last year, Hubbub took a boat made from 99% recycled plastic on its maiden voyage from London's Canary Wharf Docks

Starbucks' nationwide 5p cup charge to fund Hubbub's waste-cleaning boat

Starbucks has this week introduced its 5p paper cup charge to all 950 UK stores, with the proceeds of the charge to be used by environmental charity Hubbub to fund a plastic boat set to clean up waste in the Thames.

The sachets were created in partnership with packaging development company Skipping Rocks Lab

Just Eat trials seaweed sachets as alternative to single-use plastics

Online food ordering firm Just Eat has commenced a trial of compostable sachets made from seaweed, as part of an effort to reduce the amount of plastic used by its UK restaurant partners.

Luxury sector unites to create roadmap for sustainability

Major luxury firms such as Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton and Chanel have developed a sustainable roadmap to help the sector address the challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity loss and rising economic inequality.

Starbucks and McDonald’s are aiming to develop a global solution that stops plastic-lined paper coffee cups being sent to landfill

McDonald's joins Starbucks to fund new coffee cup innovations

McDonald's has committed £3.8m ($5m) to help research, develop and commercialise recyclable and compostable coffee cups, joining Starbucks as a founding member of the NextGen Cup Consortium and Challenge.

Asda joins Microfibre Consortium to reduce environmental impact of clothing

UK supermarket Asda has joined a consortium aimed at understanding how microfibre shedding occurs, in order to implement projects aimed at reducing how much volume seeps into the ocean.

Aldi’s sustainability report updates progress towards a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated per m2 of sales floor by 30%

Aldi exploring emissions reduction goal aligned to Paris Agreement

The UK's fastest growing supermarket Aldi will align its future sustainability strategy "well below" the 2C target set by the Paris Agreement, the company's international managing director of corporate responsibility, Sven van den Boomen, has claimed.

Plastic straws will be phased-out by October, Ikea said in a statement

Ikea to ban plastic straws in all its UK stores and restaurants by October 2018

Global furniture retailer Ikea has announced (July 16) that it will stop selling packs of single-use plastic straws in its UK and Ireland stores later this year, as part of its commitment to eliminate all single-use plastics from its global product range by 2020.

The move from Morrisons comes less than a month after the supermarket announced that it would stop offering single-use plastic bags in its fruit and vegetable aisles

Morrisons trials in-store deposit return system for plastic bottles

Supermarket giant Morrisons has launched a trial of an in-store deposit return scheme for plastic bottles, in a bid to minimise its plastic output and encourage customers to recycle.

The money will fund a group of at up to 15 fellows to research potential SDG breakthroughs for three years

Unilever and Sainsbury's among funders for Prince of Wales SDG programme

More than a dozen big-name businesses, including Unilever, Asda and Sainsbury's, have teamed up to work on a Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) initiative to support progress towards the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The three-month trials saw the percentage of customers bringing in their own cup to stores increase from 2.2% before the trial to 5.8%

Starbucks to introduce 5p paper cup charge across all UK stores

Starbucks will add a 5p surcharge to paper cups in its 950 stores across the UK later this month, as well as vowing to eliminate single-use plastic straws from its global operations by 2020.

Companies will collaborate to eliminate links to deforestation by 2030 and reduce emissions and increase uptake of renewable energy

UK retail giants sign up to collaborative SDG commitment

A group of major retailers, including Ikea, Debenhams and Sainsbury's, have signed up to a series of commitments to collaboratively tackle pressing societal issues by using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework.

Throughout the episode, each interviewee is quizzed to find out what makes a responsible retailer?

Sustainable Business Covered podcast: What makes a responsible retailer?

The world of retail is competitive, but sustainability has emerged as a viable way for companies to differentiate themselves. At edie's recent London-based event, the question on everybody's lips was...what makes a responsible retailer?

Does the traditional retail model still work?

The retail landscape is being transformed. Online retail in the UK now makes up around 15 percent of overall retail sales. But what does this mean for the future of responsible retailing and customer engagement?

Why employee engagement is vital in developing sustainable retail brands

Following the recent Responsible Retail event, Harvey Laud, CEO of Helistrat, sustainability management consultancy, discusses how improving stakeholder engagement can help UK retailers realise their sustainability ambitions.

Proportionally, coffee cups account for a tiny percentage of total UK litter; just 0.7%

Pret A Manger's head of sustainability questions MP's coffee cup inquiry

Pret A Manger's head of sustainability committed to "maximising" renewable and reusable packaging for coffee cups, but has questioned whether the Environmental Audit Committee's inquiry into disposable coffee cups is the best way to promote resource efficiency and sustainability in the UK.

The seven buzzwords in responsible retail

Debbie Griffiths offers a round-up of some of the most frequently uttered words from edie's Responsible Retailer conference.

From left to right: Debenham's Caroline Haycock, BRC's Alice Ellison, Kingfisher's Jo Mourant and H&M's Catarina Midby

Information overload: Why retailers must finetune sustainability communication

Retailers must be careful not to "bombard" consumers with information, despite heightened external pressures to champion Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, according to delegates from Kingfisher, H&M and Debenhams.

More than 270 million plastic water bottles have been given a new life in Timberland footwear

A greener footprint: How Timberland's boots ignited a decade of circular economy progress

As Timberland celebrates the 10th anniversary of its EarthKeeper product range which utilises recycled plastic, edie catches up with the outdoor clothing retailer's sustainability director Colleen Vien, who explains how a decade of continual improvements has put the firm on track to achieving the circular business model.

House of Fraser's head of sustainability Dr Dorothy Maxwell is among the expert speakers that will appear on stage at edie's Responsible Retail conference in September

Responsible Retailer: How House of Fraser is reinvigorating its sustainability approach

From being ahead of the curve on supply chain ethics to exploring the adoption of science-based targets, House of Fraser is rapidly making waves in the industry through its "fast moving" Responsible Retailer strategy.

Is high street sustainability an oxymoron?

Debbie Griffiths wants to know how responsible retailers can be...

Surfdome's head of sustainability Adam Hall is among the expert speakers that will appear on stage at edie's Responsible Retail conference in September

Plastic packaging: Are retailers ready to face the elephant in the room?

Britain's retailers must address "the elephant in the room" that is the use of polyethene plastic for the delivery of products to and from stores, the head of sustainability at outdoor clothing company Surfdome has told edie.