Elena Daniilidou

In addition to helping customers pick and weigh their products, the greengrocers will provide tips on how best to preserve fresh produce and prevent food waste at home, as M&S has removed “best before” date labels from fresh fruit and veg as part of the store trial. The retailer has already phased out 75 million pieces of plastic cutlery given out in its stores each year and replaced two million straws with paper alternatives as part of its plastics plan, which aims to remove 1,000 tonnes of plastic packaging by Spring 2019. To find out about M&S’s approach to plastic, please visit: https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/plan-a/our-plastics-plan M&S has launched a plastic plan as part of its target of becoming a zero-waste business by 2025. The retailer has committed to removing over 1,000 tonnes of plastic packaging from its business by spring 2019, which includes designing plastic out, replacing it with planet friendly alternatives and making sure that any plastic it does use can be easily recycled * M&S has already phased out 75 million pieces of plastic cutlery given out in its stores each year and replaced two million straws with paper alternatives *

The pledge is taking the world by storm, with over 250,000 people in 193 countries taking part since 2014. Simon Winch, Veganuary CEO, says, “Our research from our 2018 Veganuary Participants Survey suggests most are sticking with it, which is great news! We’ll need a few years’ more data to get a better feel about the longer term conversion rates of people taking the pledge and remaining vegan, but the signs are very encouraging that the campaign is really effective at helping people go and stay vegan for the long term. This year we’re working hard to improve the quality of the support we provide to people after they finish their month trying vegan – to help those that want to stay vegan to continue their journey.

This Christmas we can choose to make a difference and reduce the number of presents that will go to the landfill. The infographic below has been created by Rachelle Strauss who is the founder of MyZeroWaste.com and ZeroWasteWeek.co.uk  Both are leading websites for helping householders reduce landfill waste. Her work has attracted media stories and engagement in documentaries, film and radio both locally and abroad.

Moreover, during the festive season, the UK creates 30 per cent more waste than usual, including two million turkeys and six million Christmas trees! As we all start to get ready for the Christmas break it’s easy to switch the focus to presents, festive decorations, mince pies and mulled wine. Christmas Market bringing together innovative, independent businesses dedicated to the environment, offering an alternative solution to the over-consumerism this festive season. Moreover, ticket holders can benefit from a host of different workshops happening in the afternoon from chocolate meditation to coffee scrub making and upcycled Christmas decor!