Sustainability in focus

2025:

• Green claims under fire: the risks of using green terminology in ads Products claiming to be 'biodegradable' or 'compostable' are increasingly common as global concerns about irresponsible disposal grow.
• Don’t fall foul of new green claims regime April 7th was a landmark date for food businesses making environmental claims. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) came into force, giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) the ability to fine businesses up to 10% of their global turnover for giving false or misleading information to consumers, including about their green credentials.
• Green claims: are we heading for a fine mess? Fines for greenwashing could rise to eye-watering amounts under new powers for the CMA, so businesses making green claims should be more cautious.

2024:

• Consumer Trends 2024: Green Claims - all risk, what reward? You do not need to be a green claims or even an advertising specialist to know that environmental claims will remain a focal point in the next 12 months. So what is next for green claims in 2024? 

2023:

• New UK law in 2024 will bring big penalties for greenwashing – are your diligence systems ready? It has become increasingly challenging to make green claims. The principle that advertising claims must be supported by substantiation is no longer enough: you must do more than just making your claim clear and supporting it with evidence. 
• CMA's new Green Agreements Guidance recognises importance of sustainability collaboration The CMA published new Green Agreements Guidance outlining how they will approach competition law issues where agreements between businesses have the purpose of environmental sustainability or to take action on climate change. This article summarises the guidance and our key takeaways from the new guidance.
• Bringing together key developments in Environmental claims There's been a lot happening in environmental claims over the last year, London Climate Action Week is a good time to check in!
• ASA rulings: Two environmental claims, two outcomes A summary of two investigations into environmental claims made by water companies. 
• Contextualise those environmental claims Recently there have been three high profile rulings against energy companies. 
• The Green Claims Directive – what's next for green claims in the EU? The EU has published its Green Claims Directive. We have set out out key takeaways from the new rules that will change the approach to making green claims across the EU.
• It is not easy being green How doing the right thing has become increasingly challenging. What is next for green claims, and regulation in 2023. What are the implications of the implementation of DRS or the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and what changes will the new packaging legislation bring?

2022:

• No 'safe space' for green claims Regulators are on the lookout for evidence of greenwashing from food companies. In this article we explain how businesses can stay on the right side of the law.

2025:

• The CS3D and its impact on consumers In 2024, the European Union adopted the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), a ground-breaking piece of legislation that shifts the focus from reporting to a new era of corporate responsibility for action. 

2024:

• True Diligence - Preparing for a new era of corporate responsibility True Diligence is based on opinion research amongst 1,200 C-suite leaders from companies with a minimum global turnover of €150 million that are based in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, or the UK.

2023:

• The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive - What you need to know Once implemented, the EU's proposed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), will impose an unparalleled and extensive corporate governance duty on many companies based in and outside the EU.
• The time to act is now – the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive is game-changing legislation. It shifts the focus from words to tangible action on ensuring environmental sustainability and the actual and potential impacts on human rights.

2023:

• Three Green Bottles: UK plans to introduce up to three Deposit Return Schemes Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) was set to go live on 16 August 2023 and has now been delayed until 1 March 2023, with the rest of the UK introducing plans to implement similar schemes. 
• Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme: Where are we now? Circularity Scotland, the scheme administrator for Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), has announced a significant support package for drinks producers and various documents providing guidance on cutover, for closed loop hospitality and for retailers.
• Deposit Return Schemes: What do I need to know? Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) goes live in August 2023, with the rest of the UK introducing plans to implement a similar scheme. We take a look at some key features and differences.
• Don't bottle it: European Commission calls for mandatory Deposit and Return systems in Member States As part of its proposed Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste, the European Commission has called for mandatory Deposit and Return Systems in Member States. What will Member States need to consider when implementing the systems, and what challenges will they face?

2022:

• Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme remains ambiguous As the go-live date of 16 August 2023 edges ever closer, producers and retailers continue to face uncertainty on the implementation of Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). 

2024:

• Key Implications of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill The Scottish Parliament passed the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill on 26 June 2024. We take a look at the main features of the Bill and the key sectors affected.  
• The many elements of sustainability: product, packaging, supply chain, and diligence – can everything be achieved? With the close of COP28 in December, we sum up the key recent legislative and policy developments in the food, packaging, and sustainability world, and with 50 elections around the world in 2024 – consider what the future might hold.

2023:

• Single-Use Plastics ban actually coming into force As the mornings are turning colder, and the summer now seems to have departed, the pace of regulatory and/or policy change shows no signs of slowing – this time regarding Single-Use Plastics in England and beyond.  
• Single-use plastics to be banned across the UK Scotland paved the way for the rest of the UK by introducing a ban on the manufacture and supply of some single-use plastics last year. England is now following suit, announcing plans to ban the supply of some single-use plastics from October 2023, with Welsh legislation also in progress.  
• Waste not, want not: packaging recyclability and minimisation A new EU proposal on packaging and packaging waste says the current legislation is not enough and more is needed to tackle rising packaging waste. 

2025:

• Will harmony break out over precautionary allergen labelling? - Global efforts to standardise the use of ‘may contain’ labels are gathering pace, however the UK continues to hold reservations. A helpful tool to communicate genuine risk or so-called ‘legal cover’ against inadequate manufacturing procedures?
• EU Deforestation Regulation: What to do in the face of delay - Can't see the wood for the trees? Wondering what you should do now that EUDR might be delayed. The EU Deforestation Regulation is nothing new, but despite guidance and a help website from the European Commission, questions on practical application (and even geographical scope) remain.
• Don’t buy into deforestation law delays - The European Commission wants to delay EUDR due to IT issues, but food businesses can’t afford to switch off from ensuring they have sustainable supply chains.
• Deforestation, dodgy green claims and delays New EU laws relating to green claims and deforestation do not mean food businesses can relax. We take a look at key implications after a legal briefing roundtable in association with Footprint.
• Are you ready for the new EU deforestation regulations? The EU's new deforestation regulations will be applied from December 2025. The potential implications are significant, so it's important to understand your obligations ahead of time.  
• What does forced labour clampdown mean for food? Under a new EU law, businesses can be forced to withdraw any product linked to worker exploitation in the supply chain. But will its bark be worse than its bite?
• Can the UK Cultivate a Market for Lab Meat With the UK being free from the EU’s complex approvals process, regulators have an opportunity to unlock the commercial and social benefits from cultivated products. The question of how to regulate cultivated products continues to exercise the minds of those whose job it is to keep our food safe. 

2024:

• Many facets or allergens 2024 has started with allergen management back in the news, rekindling discussions about this important, but operationally difficult, topic

2023:

• A year of change for product safety and reflections on ICPHSO 2023 The ICPHSO 2023 International Symposium in Älmhult, Sweden brought together regulators, businesses, and product safety experts to discuss major issues and themes in the product safety space.
• Alternative proteins in the UK and EU: Will the UK sector benefit from Brexit? In this article, we look at whether the alternative protein sector can benefit from Brexit in the UK, outline our learnings from the European Commission on the EU novel foods current state of play, and consider a recent EU development.
• Right to repair—Commission introduces new consumer rights on repair of goods  The European Commission has adopted the proposal for a Directive on common rules promoting the repair of goods, including which products are covered, its key obligations, and the practical impact for businesses.

2025:

• Modern slavery – nearly a decade on from the UK's groundbreaking Act, and it is still in the news? When we think of slavery, most of us will cast our minds back into history. Sadly, as recent headlines show, this is something that is still very much with us and the addition of the word 'modern' makes it no less brutal, or real. 
• Is safety at work a human right? Time to report more widely on safety compliance? Most of us consider safety to be a regulatory obligation. While important, it is seldom considered fundamental and often has a bad reputation as an excuse for not doing something as it breaches: "elf and safety".

2024:

• Transparency as a responsible business force for good As voluntary and mandatory sustainability requirements continue to grow, and consumer demand for sustainability and responsible business practices escalate, now is the time for consumer sector companies to fine-tune their sustainability strategies and disclose their actions with transparency and integrity.
• People and culture - Employee activism is on the rise - are you ready for it? Well-being, culture and working conditions will be high on agenda for leadership, as employees put more focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. This trend is prominent in the Consumer sector, where people are at the heart of sustainable performance and growth.

2023:

• Navigating the low emission zones in Scotland Scotland has been preparing for the introduction of Low Emission Zones (LEZs) into Scotland's most populated cities. From sole traders with one vehicle, to larger businesses with varied transportation, we analyse some impacts of the LEZs.