Behavior Change
The latest developments supporting a shift toward sustainable consumption, as well as specific ways brands are encouraging less wasteful behaviors.
London Surpasses Annual Air Pollution Limits 5 Days Into 2017; Mary Poppins Is Not Amused
The City of London broke its 2017 air pollution limits just five days into the new year, a whole three days ahead of its 2016 record. In response, Greenpeace enlisted the help of Mary Poppins to call on politicians to clean up the UK’s air to protect children’s lungs. A silhouette of the childhood champion was spotted flying high over Parliament, armed with her iconic umbrella and a new accessory — a pollution mask.
The Five Thieves Threatening Humanity's Future
Answer this question quickly without giving it much thought: Is the human species inherently a compassionate, constructive species destined to leave the Earth better than we found it?
Water Is an Increasingly Precious Resource — But Do Consumers Understand That?
Has a water crisis touched you or your community this year? You probably know that 2016 was a big headline year for water, from California’s lingering drought to Flint’s public health disaster. Here in East Tennessee, where we rarely worry about the availability of fresh water, the idea of scarcity hit home this fall in an unprecedented way: We endured our most severe drought in nearly ten years, setting the stage for a massive wildfire that ripped through the tourist town of Gatlinburg and killed at least 14 people.
Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel's Want You to Celebrate Responsibly This Holiday Season
The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey have teamed up to offer tips and techniques to emphasize safe and responsible alcohol consumption for this holiday season. The award-winning Live Free & Host Responsibly campaign offers holiday-themed food and drink recipes, along with videos outlining techniques for responsible entertaining.
Fighting Food Waste Is Like Going to the Gym: 7 Excuses That Sabotage Success
The importance of minimizing food waste is nearly as universally understood as the importance of good health. But in both cases, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re doing a better job than you really are. Put yourself in the shoes of someone looking to shed a few pounds. You might decide to go to a 5-day fitness boot camp. Even if you achieve your desired weight during that intensive period, you wouldn’t expect to maintain any gains if you went back to your old ways after, would you? It is exactly the same with food-waste prevention programmes in your business — it requires adopting a daily routine, as well as changing your diet.
CDP: Underestimation of Deforestation Risks Could Cost Business Over $900B
In a new CDP study released last week, global companies — including Colgate Palmolive, L’Oréal, McDonald’s Corporation and Marks & Spencer — report that, on average, 24 percent of their revenues depend upon four deforestation-linked commodities: cat
Diageo Unveils VR Experience That Reminds Holiday Drinkers to Make Better Driving ‘Decisions’
Alcohol and spirits giant Diageo has unveiled “Decisions,” a first-of-its-kind virtual reality (VR) experience that puts consumers of legal drinking age in the middle of a fatal drunk driving crash. This launch is Diego’s latest effort to educate and meaningfully impact consumers about the importance of responsible decision-making when drinking.
WRAP Advises Electronics Shoppers to Keep Calm and Be 'SMART' This Black Friday
As retailers and shoppers gear up for another “highly charged” Black Friday, UK anti-waste advocacy organization WRAP has provided a ‘SMART’ guide for buying electronic products. Each year the UK buys 1.4 million tonnes (or £21 billion worth) of electrical and electronic products; WRAP estimates that consumers discard a similar amount. The SMART guidelines are designed to help consumers keep calm, buy smarter, and avoid unnecessary waste of devices and their components.
COPtimism: 5 Reasons to Be Optimistic About Our Future Climate
Every day brings more news stories about the disruption and damage wreaked by climate change. And since the international Paris Agreement for climate action was signed this time last year, the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have continued to soar, making 2016 the hottest year on record. We’re already feeling the effects of climate change, and they aren’t going to go away.
Sodexo Campaigns Aim to Change Behavior to Save Food, Reduce Water Use and More
Serving more than 9,000 sites throughout North America, Sodexo is using its reach to try to influence behaviors among its millions of customers.
Changing What We Eat: The Role of Junk Food in Our Global Food Crisis
Millions of people struggled to afford traditional staple foods like maize, rice and wheat when global food prices spiked between 2007 and 2011, and a recent study found that in 10 countries studied, they switched to western-style processed “junk food” alternatives high in sugars, fats and salt.
Disney, Dole Launch Character-Clad Produce to Promote Healthy Eating
Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) and Dole Food Company have announced a co-branded assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables featuring iconic Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel characters.
What the Personal Beauty Industry Can Teach Us About Men’s Diets
As a teenager growing up in England in the 1990s, so-called lads’ mags were all the rage. Back then, these kinds of magazines ruled the newsstands, promulgating a kind of macho boyhood that was rough and rowdy. They set a cultural expectation for young English men that rolled well into the 2000s. And then, one by one, those magazines went out of business as readers moved online and their media preferences changed. Other things in British men’s lives have changed, too.
Challenge Your Boss to an 'Edge Pledge' to Fight Extinction
Who wouldn’t want to dare their boss to a challenge that would put them ‘on the edge’? Perhaps seeing them sky dive, or getting a diamond nose piercing? Or even wearing a crazy costume to a company conference? Now there is a way you can legitimately and safely (e.g. keep your chances of a promotion) challenge your boss to do something outrageous and at the same time save wildlife on the edge of extinction.
How to Engage the 90% of Our Brains That Resists Changing Behaviour
In a rich and fascinating afternoon workshop on Monday, behavioural design experts Sille Krukow and Teis Andres of Krukow Behavioural Consulting explored their theory and tools on how conscientious companies can design the right environments in which consumers can achieve their sustainability aspirations.
Gap, Mr Black Campaign Asks Consumers to ‘Clean Less, Do More’ with Their Denim
High street apparel brand Gap and garment aftercare expert Mr. Black have partnered on a new campaign that highlights the links between denim care and sustainability. The two brands have joined forces to educate consumers that by adopting a simple aftercare routine it’s possible to prolong the lifespan of garments while saving water and energy.
Why We've Got Beef with Some of the US' Largest Food Companies
This week, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released a report — authored by myself and UCS analyst Lael Goodman — that scored 13 fast food, retail, and food manufacturing companies on their deforestation-free beef commitments and practices.
€3.2M Behavior Change Campaign Aims to Reduce Food Waste, Boost Healthy Eating in London
Households in London toss an estimated 900,000 tonnes of food each year, of which 540,000 tonnes could have been eaten. Starting this month and set to run for three years, the latest initiative led by Resource London aims to reduce this avoidable food waste and increase awareness of more healthy and sustainable eating – all while saving Londoners up to £330 million.
Knorr Campaign Asks Consumers to ‘Eat’ Less Water
While consumers have become more aware of food waste issues thanks to media campaigns and numerous initiatives led by startups and large companies alike, such efforts tend to overlook the intricate relationship between food production and water scarcity.
While Companies Continue to Strive for Sustainability, Consumers Still at the Heart of Lasting Change
A decade ago something remarkable happened: Business leaders watched Al Gore present An Inconvenient Truth, and accepted that man-made climate change was real and catastrophic. CEOs said that something must be done and embraced carbon pricing and emissions trading. These same captains of industry were further encouraged when the UK Stern Review explained that early investment in low-carbon solutions would outweigh its costs and boost economic growth.