Wean shoppers off plastic; GroceryAid: get involved

Wean shoppers off plastic

Sir, The headline of your article ‘More Brits worry about plastic than Brexit’ was certainly attention-grabbing. However, I’d suggest that even more concerning was the fact that 53% of consumers surveyed ‘were actively trying to buy groceries not sold in plastic packaging’. It is increasingly clear that as an industry we must take steps to help the nation wean themselves off their plastic addiction.

Much attention has been focused on the government’s recent proposal for a plastic bottle deposit return scheme. But this could be seen to be a classic case of trying to address the symptoms rather than the root cause. We need to focus on moving to more sustainable, environmentally friendly, packaging made from renewable and responsible sources.

At Crediton Dairy we are doing just that through our commitment to using high-performing aseptic carton packaging for our dairy drinks, predominantly produced from paperboard.

We believe that moving to fully renewable, not simply recyclable, packaging must be the long-term solution and we are working with our suppliers to develop this proposition to meet the growing concerns of consumers and customers alike.

Nick Bartlett, head of sales & marketing, Crediton Dairy

GroceryAid: get involved

Sir, Just as in tennis, every so often Steve Parfett in his excellent column lobs me a volley to smash home.

Steve’s call for increased support for GroceryAid could not be more timely. As Steve suggests, we are seeing an acceleration in grocery colleagues in distress reaching out to us.

As demand grows, we need all the assistance we can get. So please get involved in supporting our events, for example, our summer Barcode Festival. We are very excited by it and would love new supporters to join us at what will be an amazing day.

The generosity of organisations in supporting GroceryAid means we can continue to be there for all our grocery colleagues in need. For many of them, life unfortunately is not as simple as a game of tennis - so please be there for us so we can be there for them.

Steve Barnes, CEO, GroceryAid


Serious about social

Sir, Wetherspoon chief Tim Martin has called time on social media, saying it’s addictive (let’s ignore the irony there) and not to be trusted. He has a point. There’s a lot of misguided and ineffectual social activity carried out by brands.

But let’s not make sweeping judgements about the power of social media. Like every channel, effectiveness comes down to creativity and tone. Social can have a far-reaching and positive impact for brands.

Through our own platform, The Serious Bacon Club, we allow brands to engage with a highly passionate community around a specific subject matter. Brands we have partnered with have reaped the rewards.

It’s not being on social that matters. It’s how you use it.

Jamie Williams, partner, Isobel