Vitacress Launches Environment Week to Encourage Water Efficiency
Vitacress launched its first Environment Week (8th – 12th June) to raise awareness of the environment and sustainability to its employees. This year’s theme was water and focused on its importance as a resource for the business.
During the week, staff took part in a range of events to highlight the significance of water for growing, producing and packing Vitacress products.
A different activity was organised for each day of the week. The events were light-hearted and fun, but were also informative, with the objective that they would trigger further conversations about how to utilise water in a more sustainable way both at work and at home.
Highlights of the week included:
- Water Challenge: staff were challenged to invest in re-usable bottles to fill with tap water, potentially saving up to 5 litres of water for every litre of bottled water produced
- Populating Riverways: talks on the work that the Hampshire & IOW Wildlife Trust in conjunction with Vitacress Conservation Trust is undertaking to re-populate the riverways with the threatened native white clawed crayfish.
- The Importance of water for Vitacress: tours and educational seminars on conservation and how Vitacress relies on water and maximises its water efficiency through industrial recycling systems in order to be able to produce its salads and herbs
- The Ultimate Green Smoothie: the staff canteens produced watercress smoothies to encourage staff to sample the ‘Green’ drink.
Environment Week was an initiative inspired by Vitacress’ new sustainability manager, Leah Mathias-Collins and coincided with the M&S Plan A Environment Week. Leah joins Vitacress with a wealth of knowledge from her experience as a environmental consultant at organisations such as; the Hampshire Water Partnership, Itchen Navigation and the Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
Leah’s first priority is to build on the Vitacress’ sustainability work to develop a Vitacress Sustainability Agenda. This will set out best practice for the organisation ensuring that it is as sustainable as possible, whilst having a process to measure and improve, where necessary.
Leah Mathias-Collins said “I am really excited about making a difference. For years I have being working in the natural environment and trying to persuade people outside of that industry of the whys and hows of all things biodiversity. Now I have a real opportunity to create a culture within a business that is more sustainable, respects and understands the importance of the natural environment and the resources it provides us with to enable us all to thrive. Environment Week was a real success and will be an annual event as part of Vitacress’ Sustainability Agenda.”