Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

Coca-Cola’s brand-led marketing on plastic recycling

Joe Franses, vice-president, sustainability, for Coca-Cola European Partners, and Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh discuss why Coke has developed a ‘world without waste’ strategy and debate the pros and cons of deposit return schemes.

Franses argues that existing schemes don’t work effectively enough, while deposit return can really push recycling rates up. Coke wants 100% of its packaging to be returned by 2025 – which means, for example, collecting a bottle for every one that is put on the market. So radical change is required, and Franses explains how Coca-Cola is leveraging the power of its brand to demonstrate the value in its packaging, and why his marketing colleagues now have recycling messages in advertising.

Weekly podcast: ZSL on palm oil sector progress, and why non-plastic packaging works for drinks

This week: Michael Guindon, palm oil specialist from the Zoological Society of London, gives his impressions from the recent RSPO general assembly in Malaysia and details ZSL’s latest analysis of the palm oil sector’s progress against its commitments. And Ramon Arratia from Ball Beverage Packaging Europe puts the case for non-plastic packaging for drinks.

Plus: insight from the UN’s 2018 Emissions Gap Report, a potential Cerrado agreement, viscose supply risks and new responsible banking principles, in the news digest.

Hosted by Ian Welsh

Are science-based targets ambitious enough?

Nathan Shuler, sustainability solutions architect at Schneider Electric, and Ian Welsh debate the rise and rise of the science-based targets movement. Shuler explains why his business has committed to them, and outlines some of the corporate challenges around zero-carbon ambitions and properly engaging with scope 3 supply chain emissions. They discuss the internal arguments that need to be won to move companies towards adopting such targets, and whether, given many companies won’t take that step, real leadership in this requires businesses to go beyond doing their ‘fair share’. Shuler also explains how science-based targets can be made relevant for smaller organisations.

How water, rest and shade saves lives in tropical supply chains

Jason Glaser, CEO, La Isla Network outlines to Ian Welsh his work combating kidney disease in tropical sugar cane workers, and why famers providing water, rest and shade to workers in the field can mitigate serious health issues. Glaser explains how La Isla Network’s programme in Nicaragua is working to prove the effectiveness of rolling out water, rest and shade, and voices his frustrations with lack of progress while also highlighting some inspiring partnerships. They discuss the challenges around introducing more mechanisation in sugar cane supply chains – mitigating health risks while also developing other income sources for farm workers.

Weekly podcast: Ocado on the difficult choices around plastic packaging, and CottonConnect on supply chain resilience

This week: Suzanne Westlake, head of corporate responsibility and corporate affairs at Ocado, outlines the challenges for the online retailer on cutting plastic waste. And CottonConnect CEO Alison Ward on partnerships with retailers such as Primark to develop gender empowerment and better livelihoods for smallholder farmers, that in turn build more sustainable long-term supply chain relationships.

Plus: analysis of the RPSO’s updating of its principles and criteria, EU’s potential new rules cutting palm and soy from biofuels, and the apparel sector gets to grips with modern slavery, in the news digest.

Hosted by Ian Welsh

Baroness Young on how to move from talk to action on modern slavery

Baroness Lola Young talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about her frustration at the lack of progress on human rights and modern slavery and how there is a universal need for all actors to move from talk to action on cleaning up supply chains. They debate why human rights issues don’t get the traction that environmental issues do – most notably plastics recently. Young argues for developments in the UK’s modern slavery act and other similar legislation elsewhere, and why using the right nuanced language in different parts of the world is very important to get engagement and progress.

Why the plastics debate needs to focus on avoiding waste

Felix Gummer, director, Sancroft, and Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh debate why brands are becoming more fully engaged on packaging and focusing on keeping plastic out of the environment. They discuss how the combination of developments involving environmental concerns, government action, and campaigning group focus have made plastic waste such a mainstream issue.

Gummer argues that packaging is becoming an ever-more important part of the product decision for brands, with the challenge to reduce the number of polymers used in packaging so that recycling and reuse become more possible and practical. He explains why avoiding food waste should be a top concern, and outlines why he’s not a fan of deposit return schemes as currently proposed.

Detroit: how local storm water management grows business opportunities

Anika Goss-Foster, executive director of Detroit Future City, discusses with Ian Welsh how local renewal projects are helping neighbourhoods in the city of Detroit successfully redevelop through partnerships between businesses and local non-profit groups. Goss-Foster explains how changes to how the city, businesses and local people have to manage, and pay for, storm water has helped develop better green infrastructure and become a factor in how Detroit has improved how it operates as a city.

Weekly podcast: how to measure business outcomes and impacts, and capacity building to eliminate modern slavery

This week: Toby Webb and Davd Westlake, CEO of the International Justice Mission debate how companies can help build capacity to tackle modern slavery, particularly in Thailand. And, Ian Welsh and Joe Arvai, professor of sustainability, and faculty director at the Erb Institute, University of Michigan, discuss how companies can measure impact and drive business benefits. Plus: good news for Adidas, and not for Starbucks, in the latest CHRB benchmark; why Iceland can't show its palm oil Christmas ad, and are asset managers going to save the forests? 

Hosted by Ian Welsh

Greenpeace’s business solutions to cut plastic waste

Louise Edge, European campaign coordinator at Greenpeace, discusses with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb why there’s been such an explosion in interest in tackling plastic waste.

Edge calls on companies to go beyond existing targets on recycling, stressing the scale of the problem now and in a business-as-usual future. She outlines four steps that business can follow: transparency on what plastics they use; grasping the issue of ever-increasing single-use plastic; active investment in new delivery systems that are based on reduction and reuse; and taking immediate action to eliminate non-recyclable packaging.