Looking to the New Year
This series is an insight-driven look at environmental issues facing the CPG industry. Each month, we survey media, handpick relevant stories, and interpret them for you. Sustainability Watch aims to spark conversation and inspire the CPG industry to help solve the planet's environmental problems.
Welcome to the sixth edition of Invok's Sustainability Watch series. Here, we share relevant news and insights on the CPG industry's pressing issues. We hope these articles will spark conversations among your team and inspire you to consider how our industry can participate in long-term solutions to environmental problems.
Sustainability in CPG to Become a Bigger Priority
As we approach the new year, it is an opportunity to think about what the future can hold and how the CPG industry — businesses, governments, and consumers — can work together to improve sustainability. A report this month by NielsenIQ highlights that government mandates, higher costs due to climate change, and consumer scrutiny will lead to increased efforts to mitigate pollution and climate change. "The next five years will see accelerated action from companies as they scramble to meet increasing requirements around reporting, visibility, and to reduce their carbon footprint," says the report.
Seventy-four per cent of consumers believe governments should implement regulations that force businesses to adopt sustainable practices and meet climate targets. Consumers are saying to brands that sustainability action is longer just a nice-to-have– it is mandatory. A new slate of anti-greenwashing laws in Europe is further evidence, reminding us that speed and commitment need to be a top priority in 2023.
Learn more here: NeilsenIQ
New Paper Packaging Coming for Mars, Snickers, and Milky Way
In some positive news, Mars Wrigley has announced that in 2023 they will transition a large part of their chocolate bar portfolio to a new paper-based packaging format. Partnering with product packaging company Amcor, the new packaging was unveiled earlier this year and is high-barrier, grease-resistant, and can be recycled via traditional curbside programs. Easily recyclable packaging is a big win, but when the news was announced on LinkedIn, it was interesting to see the debate in the comments section. While most applauded the announcement, others pointed out that the packaging still contains some plastic and asked whether cutting down more trees was the best solution to pollution. Ultimately, this goes back to consumer skepticism about sustainability claims, which is why brands must be transparent and up-front about their initiatives. Consumers want to trust a brand and feel good about their purchases – it is up to us as an industry to earn that trust.
Learn more here: Daily Mail
Highlights from COP27
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) took place last month in Egypt and wasn't without intrigue. In the lead-up to the event, Greenpeace took issue with Coca-Cola being a sponsor of the event, stating: "If Coca-Cola really wants to solve the plastic and climate crisis, it needs to turn off its plastics tap. Ending Coca-Cola's addiction to single-use plastic is an important part of moving away from fossil fuels, protecting communities, and combating climate change." A few weeks later, climate change activist Greta Thunberg said that she would not be attending the summit as she believed it to be a "forum for greenwashing."
Despite some valid concerns surrounding COP27, world and industry leaders from over 200 countries attended the two-week summit. A wide range of issues were covered, and from a CPG perspective, critical areas of focus were the reduction of emissions, food waste, and plastic pollution. The summit itself will not solve the world's climate issues, but it reminds us of what is at stake and who will be impacted the most if change doesn't happen quickly. These moments of recognition, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose are more important than ever. Now, let's get back to work.
Find and read all of the Sustainability Watch issues on our website.