Whilst there’s a lot of innovation in the area of sustainable solutions right now, there’s a big gap between our expectations and what’s possible that only further research and development can close.
It’s also increasingly important to be able to validate any claims you make. It is difficult for consumers to make sense of the many certifications and claims about the environmental performance of food, drink, services and companies. Some claims have been found to be unreliable which has meant that consumers trust in them can be low. So, there’s some key legislation that businesses need to take into account when making any claims – the UK Green Claims code- find out more here.
However, it’s important to remember sustainability often makes good business sense. Cutting food waste, reducing your energy, and offering more plant-based choices on menus are examples of this. And we learned from our survey this year that consumers are often happy to pay more too: 45% said that they would be “willing to pay more for food and drink when out, if they knew it was coming from sustainable sources”*.