Positive News Round Up - April

From legislation approval and buyback schemes to a sustainable summer saving, 2024 has continued to raise our spirits with positive conscious news. Here’s some of our favourite stories from April:

Turning Trash into Treasure

The UK's long-awaited Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is finally set to launch in October 2027, after years of delays. Initially proposed in 2018, the scheme will see single use drink containers incur a small deposit, which can then be reclaimed by customers upon returning the packaging to be recycled. The government believes that the DRS will boost recycling habits and reduce drink container littering by 85% within three years. This is a great step in the right direction for achieving a circular economy, as tens of BILLIONS of plastic bottles, steel and aluminium in the UK every year.

Source: Edie

Tune in to Sustainability This Summer

Festivals goers, rejoice! Organisers across the UK and Europe are pitching a tent on greener pastures, taking measures to improve their environmental impacts. Domestic getaways are a great option for low carbon travel, especially when you use public transport. To encourage this, Glastonbury have teamed up with Trainline to offer discounts on advanced rail tickets for those heading to Worthy Farm this summer. Festivals themselves are high impact events, being powered by generators running on fossil fuels which result in the use of 12 million litres of diesel for festivals in the UK alone. By incentivising cleaner travel, Glastonbury and Trainline are reducing the carbon footprint the festival leaves behind, and that’s an initiative we’d like to keep on repeat.

Source: Energy Live News

Sustainability is Changing the Game

Sporting Giants, a new purpose driven sports consultancy is aiming to accelerate climate action in sports internationally. The co-founders, Scott Over and Dan Reading, who previously had positions at World Sailing and the UN’s Sport for Climate Action Framework are emphasising the value and urgency of integrating sustainability into the sporting business strategy, highlighting the market’s potential to create positive environmental and social impacts. This joins the winning streak of conscious initiatives in sport, lowering the carbon footprint of the industry and encouraging fans to consider their own environmental actions. Sports has capacity to drive such a shift in conscious mindsets! Can’t wait to see the impact of this.?

Source: Business Green

Score Sustainable Savings at Decathlon

Decathlon has expanded their buyback scheme in a much welcomed sustainability effort. Starting now, customers in the UK are able to exchange their old or unwanted Decathlon equipment for in-store credit, saving you money and giving the product a second lease on life, a total win-win! This comes as part of Decathlon’s brand relaunch, which sees them getting serious about circularity. On top of this, a ‘Second Life’ range has been launched, allowing customers to purchase preloved items at a discounted price, giving the product a well deserved second life.?

Source: RetailWeek

Clear Skies Ahead

The UK Sustainable Aviation Fuels Clearing House has taken flight, leading the UK's drive to lower carbon emissions in the aviation sector. Led by the Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield, the Clearing House is aiming to streamline the development and qualification of sustainable aviation fuels (or SAFs). With the goal of establishing the UK as a global leader in SAFs, the Clearing House will play a pivotal role in helping the UK achieve their Aviation Fuel Plan of 10% SAF usage by 2030 and significantly reduce the emissions of the aviation industry.

Source: University of Sheffield

Every step towards a conscious future is a testament to our shared commitment to sustainability. From recycling initiatives to corporate responsibility, each advancement underscores the progress we're making together.

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