Green Change: Introduction
Welcome to Play It Green’s weekly sustainability news, your source for all things related to “Green Change.” In today’s fast-paced world, staying informed about positive initiatives and progress is vital. Our Monday releases aim to inspire, educate, and empower you to make a positive impact on the world.
Each week, we bring you stories highlighting the power of community and individual actions in driving sustainable change. From local grassroots initiatives to global movements, we explore how small steps lead to significant transformations. Not only that, but you can discover inspiring examples of individuals, businesses, and organisations adopting sustainable practices, promoting renewable energy, and advocating for a greener future.
Together, let’s create a sustainable planet. Join us on this journey and be part of the solution. With that in mind, please read on for the latest updates and inspiring stories. Play your part and create a greener, brighter future.
Green Change: EU Sets Out New Soil Law
The European Commission has unveiled the continent’s inaugural soil law, aimed at countering the impact of intensive farming and addressing global heating. Presented in Brussels, the proposal seeks to rejuvenate degraded soils, support sustainable food production, and facilitate carbon absorption.
Member states would be responsible for monitoring soil health, erosion, and fertiliser usage. However, concerns have been raised over the absence of legally binding targets for improving soil quality, drawing criticism from the European agri-food industry, which calls for more ambitious measures.
Virginijus Sinkevičius, the EU’s Environment Commissioner, emphasised the significance of healthy soils by 2050. Not only that, but they highlight the risks posed to food security and farmers in the absence of fertile soils. While the law does not enforce binding targets, it aims to create voluntary certification schemes for soil health, promoting synergies with carbon farming and ecosystem service payments.
Land use, the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, drives biodiversity loss and exacerbates environmental challenges.
As well as that, recent research suggests that modest improvements to global agricultural soils could effectively mitigate global heating. Although One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B), the main representative of the European agri-food industry, acknowledges the importance given to agriculture, they call for greater ambition and funding to transition to sustainable soil management practices.
Read on to learn about more inspirational green changes happening around our world.
Green Change: Fairy Educating on Sustainable Change
Fairy is leading the way amongst its competitors in promoting sustainable dishwashing practices and reducing carbon footprints. The brand’s latest initiatives, “Wash Cooler” and “Switch to Short,” encourage users to test their products in challenging washing conditions, promoting energy-efficient habits.
Transparent Life Cycle Analyses (LCAs) for hand and dishwasher detergents were conducted and verified by independent third parties. Following the tests. results show that using cooler water for handwashing and shorter dishwasher cycles can reduce dishwashing’s carbon footprint by up to 60% and 33% respectively.
Sustainability is at the core of Fairy’s innovations. They provide effective products while minimising environmental impact. Not only that but by meeting consumer demands for performance and eco-consciousness, Fairy aims to instil sustainable habits in households.
Early results indicate a positive response. In the UK, users exposed to the Wash Cooler campaign are already adopting the habit of lowering water temperature during dishwashing. Not only that, but these changes could save up to 3.5M Tonnes of CO2 every year!
Fairy’s future focuses on continuous innovation, delivering high-performing products, and exploring sustainable solutions across packaging, ingredients, manufacturing, and supply chains. By offering eco-friendly options like carton refill packs and recyclable paper bags, Fairy is revolutionising the dishwashing experience.
Now, please read on to find out about the final inspiring green change we are covering for you this week.
Green Change: Sainsbury’s Ditches Plastic for its Steak Trays
Sainsbury’s is taking a significant step towards sustainability by replacing single-use plastic trays for steaks with environmentally friendly cardboard alternatives. This change will reduce the product’s plastic content by 70%, saving a staggering 10 million pieces of plastic each year. Best of all, the cardboard trays are fully recyclable, requiring only a rinse before being placed in kerbside recycling bins.
This transition applies to all steaks in Sainsbury’s ‘By Sainsbury’s’ range, following their successful switch to cardboard trays in the ‘Taste The Difference’ and ‘So Organic’ ranges.
Claire Hughes, Sainsbury’s Director of Product and Innovation, emphasises the importance of reducing plastic and meeting environmental commitments. The retailer is committed to continuously innovating their packaging to minimise plastic usage and find sustainable alternatives.
This move aligns with Sainsbury’s broader efforts to reduce plastic waste. Amazingly, they have already implemented changes such as trayless whole chickens and the removal of plastic bags for bananas. These changes saved 192 tonnes of plastic this year alone. By transitioning from plastic to cardboard for steak trays, Sainsbury’s furthers their commitment to eco-friendly packaging.
With a pledge to halve its use of plastic packaging on own-brand products by 2025, Sainsbury’s sets an example for other brands in the market. As competitors like Aldi have also embraced similar changes, it is evident that the industry is moving towards greener practices.
That’s a Wrap
In this week’s Climate Wins news, we celebrated the remarkable achievements of businesses and initiatives driving positive change. The EU’s groundbreaking soil law marked a significant step in restoring degraded soils and promoting sustainable food production. Next came Fairy’s drive to educate consumers. Finally, Sainsbury’s switch from plastic to cardboard trays showcased its commitment to reducing plastic waste. These inspiring stories demonstrate the power of collective action in addressing environmental challenges.
Join the Play It Green community today to deepen your understanding of climate issues and make an immediate impact. Through reforestation initiatives and social giving, you can actively contribute to creating a greener world. Furthermore, you can educate yourself, engage with like-minded individuals, and together, build a future where green changes are a daily occurrence. Take action now and be a part of the Play It Green movement.
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