InCrops in partnership with BRE has been working with a major retailer - 21 million shoppers each week, 2000 suppliers and over 600 stores - to improve the sustainability of their multi-million pound supply chain. The retailer is looking to replace conventional products in packaging of food, flowers, toys, clothing, stationery, and shop-fitting. By using sustainable materials to replace their conventional products, the company is looking for materials that are cost effective, scalable and provide significant carbon savings from cradle to grave.
InCrops contacted around 800 companies and put forward 13 companies with their sustainable solutions based on cost, readiness to market, scalability, sustainability measures, and benefits to customers. InCrops has been working closely with companies to prepare pitches of products and have supplied the retailer with supplementary information about the material/product. Priority was given to regional companies.
As a result of our pitch, the retailer invited six companies (four from the East of England) to an introductory meeting with the retailer’s buyers who will evaluate products and technologies. The invited companies will present their packaging or shop-fitting products made with based on use bio-based and compostable polymers. Successful pitches are likely to result in significant orders from the retailer. InCrops hopes that this will be first of many sustainable supply chain initiatives with large UK companies.