Closing the Loop: Why the 'New' Circular Economy is a Return to Smarter Systems for Drinks
Over the past month, we've focused heavily on the implications of the DMCC Act and the critical need for transparent, substantiated environmental claims. Getting communication right is vital, but it must be underpinned by genuine action and sustainable operational models. This leads us naturally to our next topic, a theme I believe is fundamental to the future resilience and responsibility of the drinks sector: The Circular Economy.
We often talk about the circular economy as a 'new' model, a necessary shift away from the dominant linear system of take resources, make products, use them, and the lose the resources. This 'take-make-use-lose' approach, born largely from post-industrial revolution abundance and the rise of consumer convenience culture, is inherently wasteful and unsustainable. The drinks industry, reliant on agriculture, water, energy, and significant packaging volumes, is deeply embedded within it.
But calling the circular economy 'new' overlooks a crucial historical truth and ignores successful systems operating right now.
Earth Day & Beyond: Communicating Sustainability Authentically
Today, April 22nd, marks Earth Day – a timely reminder of our collective responsibility towards the planet and a fitting moment to conclude our series on the UK's Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act and its crackdown on greenwashing.
Over the past few weeks, we've journeyed through the new regulatory landscape: understanding the Act's implications (Article 1), identifying the specific claims and practices now deemed high-risk (Article 2), and outlining the crucial practical steps businesses must take to ensure compliance (Article 3). Implementing those measures – auditing claims, gathering robust evidence, ensuring transparency – is essential groundwork.
But compliance shouldn't be seen as merely a box-ticking exercise or the end of the story. Instead, think of it as the essential foundation upon which truly authentic, trustworthy, and impactful sustainability communication can be built. On this Earth Day, let's explore how businesses, having done the hard work of ensuring their claims are accurate, can now move forward and communicate their genuine environmental efforts effectively and ethically
Green Claims & The DMCC Act: Practical Steps to Ensure Compliance
In the first two articles of this series, we explored the arrival of the DMCC Act's enhanced consumer protection powers and delved into the specific types of misleading environmental claims – or greenwashing – that are now firmly under the regulatory spotlight (and carry significant risk). We've covered the what and the why; now it's time to focus on the how.
Understanding the rules and the potential pitfalls is essential, but it’s proactive steps and robust processes that will truly protect your business and build authentic citizen trust. Complacency is not an option, as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) now has the power to act decisively against non-compliant claims.
So, what practical measures should your business be taking right now to ensure your environmental claims are accurate, substantiated, and compliant with the strengthened regulations?
Digging Deeper: Which Green Claims Are Now High-Risk Under the DMCC Act?
In my previous post, I introduced the significant changes brought by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act, particularly the new powers granted to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to crack down on greenwashing, which came into force last week. I discussed why this matters – the erosion of citizen trust and the unfair disadvantage faced by genuinely sustainable businesses when vague or misleading environmental claims run rampant.
Now, it’s time to delve into the specifics. What kinds of claims and marketing practices are likely to attract the CMA’s attention under this enhanced regulatory framework? While the DMCC Act provides the overarching legal power to tackle 'unfair commercial practices' (which includes misleading environmental claims), the CMA’s existing Green Claims Code (published in 2021) gives us the clearest indication of the principles they apply and the practices they deem problematic. The new Act essentially gives the CMA sharper teeth to enforce these principles.
The Greenwashing Crackdown is Here: Understanding the DMCC Act's New Consumer Powers
The DMCC Act's new consumer laws target greenwashing from this week.
Understand the crackdown, the CMA's enhanced powers, and how to ensure your environmental claims are accurate and avoid fines. Essential insights for UK businesses on compliant, sustainable marketing under the new regulations.
How Climate is Shifting the Landscape of Alcohol Commodities
Here at Avallen Solutions, we're all about creating a world where businesses thrive in harmony with our planet. That's why we've taken a deep dive into a topic that's crucial for the drinks industry and, let's face it, for all of us who enjoy a good tipple: climate change.
Our new report, "Climate Change and Alcohol Commodities: A Decade of Impact (2014-2024)" examines how the escalating climate crisis is affecting the key agricultural commodities that form the foundation of our favourite beverages. We're not just talking about a few warm days here and there; we're looking at how rising global temperatures and extreme weather events are shaking up the very supply chains that bring us everything from beer to brandy.
A History of Positive Change - Celebrating B Corp
March is B Corp Month, this year with the playful theme of Gen B, a nod to the youngest generation in the world force and the importance that we all have to creating the change we wish to see in the world. It’s a time to celebrate businesses that balance purpose and profit, using their influence and operations to create positive change, whether that be environmental or social. In the drinks industry, where sustainability and ethical business practices are becoming increasingly important, B Corp Certification is a powerful marker of commitment to a better way of doing business, one that signifies to distributors, buyers, and citizens, in one recognisable logo, that your brand is a force for good in the world.
The B Corp movement, established in 2006 by B Lab, has been pivotal in redefining business success and tracing the journey of B Corp-certified drinks brands offers insight into the industry’s evolving dedication to positive impact.
Raising the Bar: B Corp’s New Standards
If you’ve been keeping an eye on the B Corp movement, you’ll know it has been both celebrated and criticised over the years, particularly in the drink industry. On one hand, it’s a powerful global initiative proving that business can (and should) be a force for good. But on the other hand, some companies have secured certification without truly living up to the high expectations and spirit of a B Corp business.
Hopefully, that’s about to change. B Lab (the organisation behind B Corp) is rolling out new certification standards in 2025, tightening requirements and addressing some of the concerns that have cropped up in recent years. But why the change? What does it mean for sustainable businesses, especially those in the drinks industry? And will this help prevent the ‘B Corp greenwashing’ concerns that have hit brands like BrewDog and Nespresso as well as live up to the high standards that other companies expect?
The Future of Drinks Packaging
The packaging that drinks brands come in presents a significant sustainability challenge and a massive creative opportunity. Glass, plastic, aluminium, and composite materials each have their own distinct pros and cons in regards to their environmental impacts and their supporters. The industry must move beyond debates over which is the "best" material, which are clogging up my LinkedIn feed, and race at Usain Bolt speed towards practical, systemic improvements in materials, design, and end of life solutions.
We simply have to do everything, everywhere, all at once.
The Nature Footprint of Alcohol: Biodiversity Loss and the Path to Resilient Drinks Businesses
When we talk about sustainability in drinks, discussions often focus on carbon emissions, and rightfully so as it’s the most important challenge we must tackle. But climate change isn’t the only crisis the planet faces. Biodiversity loss is accelerating at an alarming rate, with species extinction now occurring up to 1,000 times faster than the natural background rate due to human activity.
Nature is not just a backdrop or somewhere we go at the weekend, it is the foundation on which everything we value is built. From the air we breathe to the water we drink, from the food on our plates to the raw materials that fuel our economies, nature sustains us in ways we often take for granted.
Understanding EPR
With EPR, DRS, ECGTD, GCD, and probably more, there’s a flood of random collections of letters, also known as acronyms, for drinks producers to get their heads around over the next few years. In our last post we explored the UK’s upcoming Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and this week we’re looking into Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
The Return of Deposit Return Schemes
After years of debate, the UK’s Deposit Return Scheme (commonly referred to as DRS) has passed through Parliament, with implementation scheduled for October 2027.
What will be included? How much will it cost? And, crucially, how can brands prepare for the changes while keeping costs under control? We thought it would be helpful to break down the details, highlight the challenges, and explore the opportunities the DRS presents for drinks brands.
Betterment Brands
Diageo have just release their annual “Distilled” report, looking at what are the big macro socialising and drinking trends for 2025. As the world’s biggest spirits producer with the biggest resources its an important document for the rest of the industry of where brands should direct their focus.