The environment is the hot topic on everyone’s lips at the moment, and rightly so. For far too long big businesses have put profits ahead of the planet and we are all becoming increasingly aware of how unsustainable a lot of the products that we consume are. We’ve seen this hit the headlines with shoppers turning their back on big brands with unsustainable packaging including Walkers and Pringles.
Big businesses need to defend their position. They can do this by improving their offering, or by trying to silence those who challenge them. The latest effort to silence a brand comes from the MPMA (Metal Packaging Manufacturer’s Association), who are threatening the independent, ethical dog food brand, Pooch & Mutt.
Pooch & Mutt’s advert urges people to “Ditch the Can. Help the Planet”, as the TetraPak cartons that they use for their dog food have been proven in independent studies, such as the study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU) to have 80% less global warming potential than cans.
The benefits are so great that the number of cartons sold in the first 6 months of launch, had the equivalent benefit to the environment of planting 200 trees! And this is from a company, who is a minnow in the pet world compared to the whales of Mars (Pedigree, Royal Canin, James Wellbeloved) and Nestle (Purina, Winalot, Tails.com).
The carton’s lower global warming potential comes down to 5 simple truths:
1. Raw materials: Cartons are primarily made from a renewable resource
2. Production: Energy used in
3. Transport when empty: 1 lorry of empty cartons is the equivalent of 9 lorries of cans
4. Space when full: Cartons offer a 40% space saving Vs cans.
5. Weight: Cans are 3x heavier than cartons
To watch Pooch & Mutt’s video explaining the 5x truths go to bit.ly/ditch_the_can
Guy Blaskey, the founder of Pooch & Mutt says “The latest campaign for our wet food cartons urges customers to ‘Ditch the Can. Help the Planet’, as they are proven to have 80% less global warming potential than cans. It’s disappointing to get threats from MPMA. The can was invented over 200 years ago, before the invention of the bra or the ballpoint pen! It has served us well, but it’s time we move to an environmentally friendly alternative. The MPMA claim the environmental benefits of cans by quoting recycling rates, but that is a very tiny portion of the life cycle of a can and it’s associated emissions. It is true that recycling rates are lower for cartons, but 92% of UK local authorities offer carton recycling, we just need to get people to know this. When a customer is standing in front of a supermarket shelf, armed with the facts, there is no argument that if they want to do the best for the environment they should ‘Ditch the Can’ and pick up a carton.’
