Mash Direct encourages customers to buy more sustainably with innovative eco-scored packaging
Mash Direct the award-winning ‘field-to-fork’ vegetable accompaniments brand, has partnered with non-profit organisation Foundation Earth to launch a new line of ecological packaging, designed to allow consumers to easily make more sustainable choices whilst shopping, driving change in the industry.
The packaging displays a traffic light system of how ecologically sustainable the product is and gives an overall ‘grade’ to provide an at-a-glance score. Several companies, including Mash Direct have signed up to this pilot scheme, hoping to drive awareness and lead change within the food and drink sector and to share a vision for the future encouraging more environmentally friendly innovation from food producers and sustainable buying choices.
The Foundation Earth product grading scores will initially be shown on five SKUs: Mash Direct’s Mashed Potato, Champ, Carrots & Parsnips, Mashed Turnip/Swede and Colcannon/Bubble and Squeak. The brand aims to roll out the packaging to other products next year, as part of the company’s wider sustainability ambitions.
The scoring system is uniquely designed to analyse the whole life-cycle of an individual product, such as Mashed Potato, as opposed to using secondary data to estimate the environmental impact of an entire product group. This will allow customers to directly compare the sustainable credentials of two competitor products to make an informed decision whilst they do their grocery shopping.
Jack Hamilton, Mash Direct CEO says: “As a sixth-generation family farm we are dependent on the Earth and are very aware that the way we all behave must change in the face of the current climate emergency. Introducing the Foundation Earth scoring system packaging is a hugely important step in our commitment to providing full transparency to our customers and increasing our brand’s sustainability.”
Cliona Howie, CEO Foundation Earth said: “It’s motivating to work alongside forward-thinking brands like Mash Direct who are one of the first to deliver our front-of-pack Eco Impact scores allowing consumers to quickly and simply understand the impact linked to their food choices. Momentum is building quicky, and scores will start appearing on products from more companies soon.”
Website: www.mashdirect.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MashDirect
Instagram: @mashdirect
