Incredible Eco News: Introduction
Introducing Incredible Eco News from Play It Green! Each Monday, we’re here to brighten your day with stories that spotlight the remarkable steps people and organisations are taking towards a greener future. We believe in the power of collaboration and shared values as we share tales of businesses making positive changes.
At Play It Green, we’re all about illuminating the path to sustainability, educating our community, and inspiring ripples of change throughout the corporate world. Join us on this journey towards a more eco-conscious future. Dive into this week’s edition and find inspiration to make your own impact.
Incredible Eco News: Premier Inn Builds First All-Electric Hotel
In our first incredible eco news story, we’re shining a light on the construction of the first ‘all-electric’ Premier Inn hotel in the heart of Swindon! This five-story, 195-bedroom marvel is a true game-changer, being the very first Premier Inn designed without reliance on natural gas. Instead, it will run on grid energy from renewable sources and on-site photovoltaic (PV) cells.
In addition to these innovations, they’re implementing cutting-edge energy and heat recovery systems. Systems like air-source heat pumps and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ groundbreaking water-heating technology. This project serves as a pioneering proof of concept, with the potential to influence the design of all future Premier Inn hotels. Further supporting their goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
Alex Flach, UK Development Director at Whitbread, states, “The new all-electric Premier Inn is designed to give us everything we need to run an operationally successful hotel. A combination of a thermally efficient building and on-site energy recovering and generating systems has given us the confidence to remove fossil fuels from the new Premier Inn.”
To learn more about this eco-friendly endeavour, click here. Be part of the change and explore the remarkable strides Premier Inn is taking towards sustainability. Join us in creating a greener future.
Incredible Eco News: Nespresso Partners with Royal Mail for Recycling Initiative
In our second incredible eco news story, we look at a new collaboration between Nespresso and Royal Mail to make coffee pod recycling more accessible. Nespresso’s partnership with the Royal Mail now offers a seamless recycling solution for coffee enthusiasts. This initiative is available nationwide, with over 14,000 Royal Mail locations available as drop-off points.
The collaboration signifies a concerted effort to simplify recycling for all. Over a decade ago, they began recycling capsules, giving aluminium and used coffee a second life. Notably, their Original and Vertuo capsules are crafted from 80% recycled aluminium.
In alignment with their commitment to sustainability, Nespresso has achieved B Corp™ certification. This sees them join a global community of brands (including Play It Green) in prioritising social and environmental responsibility alongside profitability. The company’s commitment to sustainability does not stop there! They also use coffee’s power to combat climate change and support land regeneration. Ensuring fair treatment of everyone in their value chain, including farmers and stakeholders, is a top priority.
Nespresso’s visionary approach with its not-for-profit ‘Podback’ initiative emphasises accessibility and environmental impact. Through joint efforts, they’re changing the landscape of coffee pod recycling in the UK. Not only that but also showing the potential for collective action in addressing environmental challenges. Great work by the head of sustainability, Jerome Perez and the Nespresso team for bringing us this incredible eco news!
Incredible Eco News: Oatly Campaigns for Mandatory Climate Labelling on Food
In our last incredible eco news story, we hear about Oatly, which has launched a new campaign. The campaign urges UK food and drink producers to disclose the climate impact of their products. It supports mandatory labelling in its report titled “Climate Labelling: Why Not?” The company emphasises that climate labelling is a nuanced issue but says that over half of consumers, especially those under 35, support its implementation.
Nearly 50% of consumers are open to adopting a low-carbon diet, while only around 10% are willing to continue consuming high-emission foods. Oatly, has disclosed its product carbon footprint since 2019. They point out that other sectors like automotive and tech already employ similar labelling, and extending it to food and drink could significantly reduce UK carbon emissions.
Bryan Carroll, UK General Manager at Oatly, highlights that food and drink account for a third of UK emissions. This underscores the need for informed consumer choices. Oatly aims to collaborate with other companies to develop an effective labelling system. Furthermore, it wants to pressure the government to mandate it for large firms, similar to existing nutritional information rules. Additionally, Oatly offers free billboard space to the dairy industry next to their carbon labels, in a bid to promote transparency and lower carbon footprint options.
This campaign aligns with a growing trend of companies incorporating carbon data on products and menus, with Hilton and Just Eat recently joining in. With this incredible eco news seeing a growth in carbon labelling, there us huge scope for positive change. We label for calories, so why not carbon? Great work by Oatly – we salute and support you!
Incredible Eco News: Wrap Up
That’s everything for this week!
Great work by Premier Inn, Nespresso & Royal Mail and Oatly! Businesses that are creating change, led by individuals that create hope for a better future.
Hopefully, these stories inspire you to make the change you have been thinking about or to take the next step on your journey.
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