Why going green works
In part one of Green Leaders, we take a look at how and why companies across every industry are increasingly switching to greener business models, and ask what we can learn from them
The food and beverage industry is making great strides in becoming more responsible and sustainable than ever. Brands and producers are learning from each other, sharing best practices, and even collaborating in global partnerships.
But to achieve even more, we need to look beyond our own industry, to those multinational companies which have built up a reputation for being leaders in sustainability. How have they succeeded, and what can the food and beverage industry learn from them?
The sustainable goal
Only a few decades ago, very few businesses – big or small – had a sustainability plan as part of their overall goal. Fast forward to today, and we can see the shift towards greener policies and strategies across every industry. Indeed, rather than nice add-ons, corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives have become top priorities.
But why has going green become such a hot topic? To begin with, companies are becoming increasingly aware that a sustainable business structure can help save energy, allow more resources to be spent on developing green products, and lower staff turnover. That’s in addition to improving market appeal. More than ever, consumers are considering the environment when they choose a product or service. Not only that, but they are willing to pay a premium in return.
Take Nike, which has committed to “designing” waste out of all its products, a goal it has been working towards for over a decade. Or Ben & Jerry’s, which supports small farms, for example, in transitioning to sustainable agricultural practices.
For these companies and many others, there is no turning back. Consumers want to buy sustainable products and will walk away from brands that don’t fit their beliefs. In addition, a growing awareness of environmental issues means consumers and industries can no longer ignore the impact of everything they do.
Circular economy
Food and beverage producers have focused on sustainability for some time now, with a growing trend towards a circular economy. As they work on more innovative and efficient ways to embrace green practices, they must learn from those companies who have paved the way for change. Giving them the knowledge to re-shape everything from how they collect raw materials, to how they create recyclable carton packages.
In the second part of our series, we will shine the spotlight on Ørsted and IKEA. In each instance, we will focus on how and why the company has made an effort to choose sustainable materials and resources, as well as which of these methods could be applied to the food and beverage industry.
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- июль 22, 2020