All varieties of food businesses have to deal with the buying of ingredients and packaging for their foods. But how often are your food containers or ingredients from green sources? There is a growing appetite for eco conscious buying among customers across the UK and US. The more users become aware of environmental impact, the more they are going to choose to buy from those brands who are green.
Finding local butchers, using a grocer for vegetable orders, and reducing plastic packaging when shopping are all ways to choose green supplies for your food business. But it isn’t practical for all operations, especially not larger ones. Similarly with food trucks and caterers, plastic containers can often feel but an irreplaceable necessity. Thankfully, advancements are being made all the time.
Here, we’ve collated various articles that look at how new innovations will enable your food business to get green ingredients, from land and sea, and use eco packaging every day.
Shaftesbury’s Blue Turtle scheme to encourage operators to protect ocean – The Caterer
How ocean friendly is that restaurant? Carnaby Street restaurants, cafes and bars that show commitment to sustainably sourced products and services will be awarded under the new Shaftesbury’s Blue Turtle scheme. A number of restaurants, including chains like Leon and Good Egg, have joined the scheme.
Green initiatives can often focus on meat and dairy, the land and agricultural practices that have an environmental impact. Yet, it is the oceans of the world that are forced to deal with the consequences of food waste and non-recyclable materials, not to mention overfishing. The Blue Turtle scheme is an important step for London’s food and drink establishments in a developing commitment to protect the oceans of the world.
Read full article: Shaftesbury’s Blue Turtle scheme to encourage operators to protect ocean
Tarmac’s recycled asphalt and Unilever’s plastic-free boxes: The best green innovations of the week – Edie
In order to improve our eco footprint, businesses need to be aware of the environmentally friendly options available to them. For food businesses in particular, this can mean new innovations. Edie rounds up six of the best green innovations to keep an eye out for, such as Unilever’s plastic-free boxes or using Michelin’s airless tyres for delivery vehicles.
These innovations take into account the challenges we face in being more green every day, namely through working towards ‘not only decarbonising the national economy entirely but doing so in a way which champions social sustainability, does not have unintended consequences in other areas of environmental stewardship and maintains economic stability.’
Read full article: Tarmac’s recycled asphalt and Unilever’s plastic-free boxes: The best green innovations of the week
World’s first land-based clean water prawn farm to be launched in UK – The Caterer
‘Pioneering aquaculture company Great British Prawns has launched the world’s first sustainable, land-based, clean water prawn farm at Balfron, Stirlingshire’ reports The Caterer. Sourcing ingredients in a green way means many things, from sustainable fishing to transporting, which often requires chilling and therefore green power sources for vehicles and chillers. It’s not easily done, but Great British Prawns have found one way.
What makes this clean water prawn so valuable as a trial for land-based prawn farming, is that these prawns are created in an almost waste free environment, are delivered locally with no need for freezing, and this process is all powered with sustainable energy. Keep track of this innovation if you use prawns in your food business so you can take advantage of this sustainable alternative as soon as possible.
Read full article: World’s first land-based clean water prawn farm to be launched in UK – The Caterer
Read About More Sustainable Practices For Food Businesses
Looking at ways to source sustainable ingredients and packaging that is biodegradable is very important for food business. Changes to climate change laws in the UK and new programmes, such as those mentioned above, are helping all kinds of food companies, from food trucks to caterers, to make the changes they need to be eco-friendly.
You can read more about how your food businesses can be sustainable and environmentally friendly, and how others are doing it in our Must Reads: Sustainable & Green Food Businesses.