Ozempic, Teams, Dizzie, Sewers, Seaweed

Bite-sized revolution: Ozempic’s ripple effect on the food industry?

Ozempic and similar weight-loss drugs are causing quite a stir—and for good reason. Originally developed to treat diabetes, these medications help users lose weight by regulating blood sugar levels and curbing appetite. With obesity a major global health challenge tied to issues like heart disease and diabetes, these drugs offer a new way to tackle these problems.

Alongside the health benefits (and connected to them) come changes in taste and habits. A recent New York Times article dives into one of the side effect of these drugs: they’re taking the shine off junk food. With users reporting that cravings for salty snacks and sugary treats diminish significantly, the article highlights how Ozempic is already reshaping consumer behaviour.

For the food industry then, the implications are massive. When people eat less, how does a business model built on selling more adapt? Well, while it is very early days, some companies are beginning to pivot toward quality over quantity, focusing on smaller portions, nutrient-packed meals, and whole foods over heavily processed options. All of which have obvious benefits for not just Ozempic users, but the rest of us too.

As ever, there is also another side to the story. The article dives into how the industry may be able to tweak ultra processed foods in ways that appeal to Ozempic users and in a more potentially malevolent twist, to engineer compounds which would actually work to make the drugs less effective – counteracting their effects in the quest to continue to make rewarding and alluring products.

This dark side is definitely still in the realm of conjecture, but is potentially useful in the light it shines on the better, more responsible way forward. As use of Ozempic and other similar GLP-1 drugs grows, there is an opportunity for businesses to innovate in ways that meet new consumer demands while driving health and sustainability, and addressing some of the issues in the food system in the process. The future of food could be better for people, the planet, and our taste buds too.

Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Teams??

At Good Business, we celebrate birthdays with a team-wide virtual meeting, and it’s common practice to pop on a jazzy Microsoft Teams video effect for the occasion. We’ve been delighted (if bemused) by the ability to add a little joy to the working day by placing virtual animated chickens on our heads or sending ourselves into outer space.?

And this week (happy birthday Giles!), we stumbled across the MS Teams Maybelline filters which allow users to virtually apply makeup for video calls. This is not a new feature – it first launched in summer 2023 – but it’s new to us, and it’s stirred up some discussion within the office.??

The discourse around makeup – seen both as a tool of self-expression but also as a practice driven by harmful beauty standards – is a nuanced one. But it’s undeniable that makeup has a complicated role in the workplace, where women are more likely than men to see their professional success dictated by their personal grooming habits. Add to that the known effect of beauty filters on women’s mental health, and the Maybelline filters seem like a curious feature for a professional tool.??

For us, it’s another reminder that businesses should be conscious of the messages they may inadvertently perpetuate through the products and services they offer. The post-Covid workplace has seen big changes in expectations around dress, both at home and in the office. It would be a shame for some of those to come creeping back in in a way that could be harmful to mental health and self-image.??

Dizzie’s last spin

This week, we learned that Dizzie, a pioneer in reusable packaging, is closing. While their doors are shutting, they’ve left a thought provoking and honest blog with lessons for the reusable packaging community. Here’s the lowdown:??

We all know the problems of plastic packaging, but often the solutions aren’t exactly winning either: recycling rates are dismal (<10% effective), biopackaging poses environmental and practical issues, and refill-in-store systems have proved too inconvenient for most shoppers.?

Dizzie’s “return for refill” approach attempted to overcome these obstacles, offering pre-filled reusable packaging available online and in-store. Although ideal in theory, execution hit roadblocks. In 2018, when the company was starting out, government policy support seemed promising, with the UK’s 25-Year Environment Plan and Extended Producer Responsibility schemes hinting at big shifts for the industry. But then Brexit, high costs, and policy delays put the brakes on progress, and retailer confidence dampened. Dizzie also planned to grow rapidly to attract fresh investment, but when sales stalled, so did investor excitement. Another key failure highlighted by Dizzie was its focus on a bottom-up approach, rather than engaging directly with the big retailers, leading to challenges down the line.?

Still, Dizzie processed more units than any other company, removing 60.6 tonnes of waste and cutting associated emissions by 212 tonnes. It also sees promise in online grocery delivery, where packaging can be collected right from your doorstep, and retailers like Ocado and M&S have proven effective as early adopters. It says there will be a need for stronger industry collaboration, clearer market roles, and board-level retailer engagement to grease the wheels of policy change. Oh, and don’t forget simple, consumer-friendly messaging to make reuse a no-brainer to shoppers.?

Parliament Powered by Poo

With snowfall across the country this week, many of us turned up the thermostat, but would you be surprised to discover your heating was sourced from sewers? This will soon be the reality for MPs in the Houses of Parliament following completion of the recently announced ￡1 billion scheme in London which will harness waste heat from London’s sewers, the tube network and the Thames to supply low-carbon heating to the South Westminster Area Network.??

The project will provide sustainable heating to approximately 1,000 buildings, including the National Portrait Gallery, and should cut carbon emissions by 75,000 tonnes, equivalent to planting 1.2 million trees.??

London’s initiative fits part of a broader global trend in which waste heat is used to accelerate decarbonisation. Data centres, notorious for their energy intensity, are being utilised with their waste energy being used to warm thousands of homes in Sweden and even Olympic pools in Paris. Similarly in Vancouver, the False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility uses waste heat from sewage to heat buildings. Even at a smaller scale waste energy is being harnessed, for example regenerative braking systems in cars, trains and cranes capture kinetic energy lost through breaking and convert it into electrical energy to store in batteries.??

Projects like these prove sustainability should not use a one size fits all approach; by using a holistic approach with diverse levers for change we can accelerate progress towards net-zero targets without overburdening individual sectors or supply chains.?

Seaweed is making waves ?

Seaweed might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to climate solutions, but it’s quickly becoming a frontrunner. Long loved in Asia, this versatile ocean crop is making waves in the UK, but not just as a snack. From fertilisers to animal feed to packaging for fast food, seaweed’s potential is huge.??

Two companies are leading the charge. In Wales, Car-Y-M?r, the UK’s first community-owned ocean farm, is cultivating seaweed that absorbs carbon as it grows. But that’s not all – when used as a biostimulant for crops, research suggests it can increase resilience to extreme events such as floods and droughts. If you’re not in the market for fertilisers, check out their shop to get your hands on some Kelpchup and Sweet Seaweed Chill sauce.?

Further south, Algapelago is growing a network of seaweed farms – “alga-pelagos” – to unlock seaweed’s potential as a sustainable material for applications in agriculture, skincare, biomaterials and biorefining. Their 120-hectare site in North Devon is the largest kelp cultivator in the UK – and their upcoming products will range from feed additives to raw kelp, as well as important natural capital solutions, such as blue carbon and biodiversity net gain credits.??

Why the excitement? Seaweed farming doesn’t require land or fresh water, making it one of the most sustainable crops out there. By harnessing its potential, companies like Car-Y- M?r and Algapalego are sequestering carbon, improving the marine environment and providing sustainable products for regenerative agriculture and beyond.??