Are you trying to be more ‘climate smart’? Find out some of what we’re doing - and some tips for you!
A BALANCED PLATE IS CLIMATE SMART
A balanced plate is healthy and sustainable, good for the environment and good for you.
Variety in our diets is key with diverse seasonal foods and reasonable amounts of ethical meat, fish and dairy supporting a healthy gut.
We can continue to enjoy eating meat – pork and poultry have a lower climate footprint per gram of protein compared to other animal proteins – and will do for generations to come if farmers engage in regenerative agriculture. This does not mean Cranswick doesn’t see systemic issues within the food industry however we pride ourselves on being a responsible food producer, producing quality produce.
Good quality meat can be sustainable, eaten in moderation in line with the WWF Livewell Principles. The first step is ensuring that meat production is better for people, animals and the planet. That’s why we’ve committed to Second Nature – it’s our way of making that happen.
BEING PLASTIC CONSCIOUS IS CLIMATE SMART
Globally, climate change is consumers’ biggest concern. Succeeding this in a recent survey* is plastic waste. At Cranswick we have cut 950 tonnes of plastic already, however, we need system change to really deal with plastic pollution.
Where plastic is needed for some foods to keep it fresh, we understand that it needs to be recycled again and again. For food packaging, that means it must be easily recovered through the household recycling stream in a way that doesn’t confuse people.
We are working with our suppliers to find suitable solutions as well as with other businesses through The UK Plastics Pact to affect the scale of change needed. We are also calling on the government to put in place policies that can encourage investment in the right type of recycling we need for our national economy.
We understand that this is a journey, we don’t yet have solutions for everything but we are making big changes. You can find out what you can recycle in your area by visiting recyclenow.com.
*Kantar September 2019
BEING INFORMED IS CLIMATE SMART
Do you know where your food came from? Who produced it? How to recycle the packaging?
Making informed choices when it comes to what we eat is crucial as the world’s food system is responsible for about one-quarter of the greenhouse gases that we generate each year.
Being informed makes it easier to buy from responsible businesses. What we buy may individually make only a tiny dent in the global climate problem, however, if many people collectively made changes to their habits, that adds up.
CUTTING FOOD WASTE IS CLIMATE SMART
Reducing food waste is one of the most important things we can do to reverse climate breakdown.
When food waste ends up in a landfill site, it rots and releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. If we stopped throwing this good food away it would save the equivalent of at least 17m tonnes of carbon dioxide per year! That's the environmental equivalent of taking one in five cars off UK roads.
At Cranswick, we’re making great progress cutting edible food waste throughout the production process through our commitment to Champions 12.3. Passionate about reducing food poverty, we share surplus food with our local communities with a range of charities and groups.
Get inspired to cut food waste at home by having a look at lovefoodhatewaste.com - from meal planning tips, to making sure your fridge temperature is set between 0°C and 5°C and loving your leftovers, you’ll find tips you can put into action straight away - such an easy way to help the planet!
COMMUNITY ACTION IS CLIMATE SMART
Our Second Nature strategy supports making a real change in local areas.
Fighting hunger is an area where we can drive the biggest change. We work with food banks and charities to redistribute surplus products and make sure communities have access to good food through targeted projects.
We don’t just donate food, we also host surplus cooking workshops to demonstrate just how valuable so-called food ‘waste’ can be, whilst also providing a skill that can be shared with communities outside of work.
Find out more about our climate-ready blueprint for action here.