New technology can bring transparency to global food chains, but collaboration will be key

Global supply chains bring UK consumers a variety of food that would have dazzled our grandparents. Particularly in big cities, you can now buy pretty much whatever ingredient you need, whether or not it's ever been produced in the British Isles, and regardless of the time of year. But these same increasingly complex supply chains … Continue reading New technology can bring transparency to global food chains, but collaboration will be key

Has the ‘sweatshop’ returned to the UK fashion industry?

The apparel industry has dominated Leicester since the 19th century; its thriving city factories once claimed to ‘clothe the world’. Poor conditions faced by framework knitters were highlighted by a Royal Commission of 1844, but legislation improving work hours and introducing paid holidays, pensions etc. slowly improved the garment-worker's lot. By 1936 it was the … Continue reading Has the ‘sweatshop’ returned to the UK fashion industry?

Is the tide turning against fast fashion ?

If the sight of racks and racks of cheap, sparkly dresses failed to put you in the party mood this festive season, you're not alone. UK shoppers spent about £3.5bn on clothing for the 2018 party season, some on garments costing less than a G&T. Millions of these are already in landfill. Britons buy more … Continue reading Is the tide turning against fast fashion ?

Is veganism the new normal?

Greggs' quorn 'sausage' roll may have offended Piers Morgan, but for others it signalled a new era. The Vegan Society reports a fourfold increase in the number of UK vegans since 2014, from 150,000 to 600,000. 42% of those switched in 2018. In November, Waitrose analysed millions of its own customer transactions, and polled 2,000 … Continue reading Is veganism the new normal?

Is your jewellery as good as gold?

If you're a responsible fashionista, no doubt you are all over the issues around animal products, and wouldn't be caught out, for example, by real, cruelly-sourced fur masquerading as faux fur. But how much do you think about who made your jewellery, where the stones and precious metals came from, or the human cost of … Continue reading Is your jewellery as good as gold?

Go vegan – it’s good for you and great for the planet!

Whether you've just resolved to give up meat for the 2018 new year, or have been avoiding all animal products for years now, it does no harm to review the benefits of veganism, both to you and the planet. Four million people in the UK, 7.3 million in the US, and 1.3 million in Canada are now … Continue reading Go vegan – it’s good for you and great for the planet!