Here are some of the press highlights for 2019
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail were writing a piece about plastic ‘bags for life’, and the environmental impact they have. Since the 5p bag charge was introduced many retailers introduced the thicker plastic but many shoppers were treating these as they would single use bags, which can compound the problem of plastic waste. I shared my thoughts here.
Independent
Jessica was writing a story about plastic pollution in the beauty industry, and wanted some research or stats on the cosmetics industry. She also wanted my comment on the subject. Here’s what I had to say.
Daily Mail
As M&S launched a range of vegan clothing, Tom was looking at a range of vegan fabrics and materials that are now being used in the fashion industry. As many of them are made from plastics, he wanted to know my thoughts on the subject.
Refinery29
Refinery29 is the leading global media company focused on young women. After discovering from me, how tricky the beauty industry can be for producing waste, Refinery wrote an article on how to have an eco-friendly hair care routine.
Reclaim Magazine
Reclaim magazine celebrates antique, vintage, upcycled and eco interiors, property, products and lifestyle. When they heard I’d launched a course to help householders reduce their waste, they wanted to share it with their readers:
Evening Standard
Jessica was working on a piece about ‘how to make your beauty regime more sustainable’ for the Evening Standard and wanted some statistics/figures about waste generated by the beauty industry in the UK? You can read the article here.
Business Times
The Business Times wrote an article called “Zero Plastic Packaging Expected To Spur Growth In Beauty And Cosmetics Business This Year”. They quoted Zero Waste Week as one of their resources of information. More details here.
The Simple Things
The Simple Things is a monthly magazine focused on taking time to live well. They focus on slowing down and celebrating the idea that doing small things will make a difference. They invited me to write a regular column helping readers reduce their waste, which I started in May 2019.
Healthy Magazine
Healthy is the UK’s top-selling wellbeing magazine published by Holland & Barrett. Francesca was writing a feature on Zero Waste beauty and wanted my comment on how the beauty industry are contributing to the waste problem and some of the solutions they could implement.
RWM
RWM is the UK’s Largest Recycling & Waste Management Exhibition & Conference. Anna was invited to speak to local authorities, showing them how we could help engage their residents to reduce waste and recycle more. New for this year was a group of Ambassadors – Zero Waste Week are proud to have been invited to be the first one!
The Times special report
“The Future of Packaging” special report, published in The Times covered how sustainable packaging, and particularly the search for non-plastic alternatives, remains high on the agenda. I was asked to provide commentary on the cosmetics industry and how they could make their packaging more sustainable. Full report available here.
Packaging Gateway
Packaging Gateway is designed for decision-makers in the packaging industry. Their website and magazine highlights the latest in industry projects and updates, along with the news, views and trends. An opinion piece was written on whether we could reduce plastic waste without increasing food waste. They cited research commissioned by Zero Waste Week in 2017.
Guardian
Paula was working on an article with her eight-year-old son in which he goes into school each day with a plastic-free lunchbox and wanted to include my ‘expert advice’. We had a long chat about making her own snacks (malt loaf, fruit leather, how to dry your own fruit), where to source zero waste bread (I even shared my home made tortilla wraps recipe) to the best sort of container. Here’s what she wrote.
Fund Ed
FundEd magazine sent to 8,000 schools across the UK. It is aimed at Headteachers, Business Managers and School Fundraisers. They asked to feature Zero Waste Week in their June issue to give schools a chance to prepare for the week.
Sky Ocean Rescue
Launched on 24th January 2017, Sky Ocean Rescue aims to shine a spotlight on the issues affecting ocean health, find innovative solutions to the problem of ocean plastics, and inspire people to make small everyday changes that collectively make a huge difference. In June, they nominated me as their #PassOnPlastic hero of the week
Our #PassOnPlastic hero of the week is… 🥁🥁🥁 @MyZeroWaste! Rachelle Strauss is the fabulous founder of ‘Zero Waste Week’, a campaign promoting recycling and waste reduction, which has now reached over 56 million people online! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/MwjJ8CECaF
— Sky Ocean Rescue (@SkyOceanRescue) June 13, 2019
Tumble Tots magazine
Marc contacted me for expert ideas for advising families with young children how they can cut down on their waste for Tumble Tots magazine. It was a wonderful opportunity to inspire the next generation! The magazine goes out to 20,000 members of Tumble Tots across the UK.
New Scientist
Leah is a reporter at New Scientist. She was writing a story on packaging-free grocery stores, their potential environmental impact, and whether they’re worth it. She asked me to share my perspective. You can access the piece here. [only available for subscribers]
Pebble Magazine
Pebble Magazine is platform which supports, shares and promotes positive stories from people who are doing ‘sustainable’ and ‘eco’ things. The aim of the magazine is to make these ‘fringe’ activities part of normal, every day life. Georgina wrote an excellent introduction to what Zero Waste Week is, along with tips on how to take part.
Read the article here.
Country Living Magazine
The September print and online edition of Country Living magazine mentioned Zero Waste Week in their editor’s letter, explored several articles about zero waste living and saw features writer, Sarah, braving a Zero Waste Week of her own. Here’s how she got on.
Yahoo News
Yahoo news were researching an article about the pesky items that CAN’T be recycled easily by consumers, such as toothpaste tubes and black plastic trays. They asked for my input and you can read the article here. During Zero Waste Week, they shared 12 of the best eco swaps for Zero Waste Week.
Croner-i environment
Croner-i Limited is a provider of information services and solutions for professionals in business, tax, and accounting. They have an environmental and sustainability branch of their business, where they wrote an article about Zero Waste Week for businesses. Read the article here.
Real homes Magazine
Real homes describes itself as the essential magazine for anyone looking to make their dream home a reality. In the run up to Zero Waste Week, they shared three switches you could make to reduce plastic in your homes. Read the article here. On the first day they shared ways to reduce carbon.
Sun
As one of the UK’s leading newspapers, the Sun needs no introduction. To mark the start of Zero Waste Week, the Sun shared lifestyle tweaks with their readers to reduce waste and help save the planet. Read their ideas here.
Big Issue
The Big Issue is a social enterprise and weekly magazine sold by homeless or vulnerably housed people. They wrote a feature article about plastic packaging, featuring one of our sponsors, and talked about the history of Zero Waste Week.
Telegraph
Telegraph online posted eco friendly kitchen swaps to help readers reduce single-use plastic during Zero Waste Week. Read the article here. The following day they posted a call to bring back a ‘Make Do and Mend’ lifestyle to help people reduce waste -in both online and print editions.
BBC Good Food
Each Week, BBC Good Food shares a food diary in which they highlight on-trend ingredients, fun foodie events, Insta-friendly restaurant dishes and must-try street eats. In honour of Zero Waste Week, they raised glasses of a sustainbly made, low waste ale! Discover more here.
Metro
The Metro based their ‘hot list’ page around items to help readers adopt a less wasteful lifestyle to mark Zero Waste Week.
TGG
Tgg (Travel Trade Gazette) was established in 1953 as the world’s first weekly travel trade newspaper. For Zero Waste Week, they spoke to me, along with travel companies doing their bit to reduce rubbish in the workplace. Read the article here.
Brut Media
Brut UK is a video content publisher covering social justice, the environment, culture and politics. They put together this three minute video, outlining the story behind Zero Waste Week.
Circular online
Circular Online is a daily news and insights resource for sustainability professionals working in resources and waste. They shared that residents in Portsmouth will be enjoying food waste collections following Zero Waste Week.
BBC Newsround
BBC Newsround invited me to put together a one minute segment sharing three tips to get their audience of 6-13 year olds reducing waste at home. Here’s the video.
Veggie Magazine
Veggie is the UK’s leading vegetarian lifestyle title, packed with the very best seasonal meat-free recipes, tried and tested cruelty-free beauty products and the latest in ethical fashion. To celebrate Zero Waste Week, they shared five creative ways to use up leftover food.
Liverpool Guide
This article is well worth a read if you want ideas on how businesses are becoming more sustainable.
WWD
Women’s Wear Daily shares breaking news about the fashion industry, designers, celebrity trend setters, and extensive coverage of fashion week. In the week after Zero Waste Week, Delta Global founder and ceo Robert Lockyer suggested the fashion industry take on the zero-waste challenge. Read Rethinking packaging in a zero waste fashion world
Circular print edition
Circular, is the magazine for the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) for resource and waste professionals. Each issue, they interview a sustainability or environmental pioneer and they chose Anna for the September/October issue!
Have you received your copy of the award-winning Circular @CIWM magazine yet?
See what @AnnaPitt, speaker at RWM, had to say about reducing her household waste to almost nothing!#RWM19 #CIWM #CircularMagazine pic.twitter.com/18g41L10eE
— RWM 2020 (@RWM_Exhibition) October 15, 2019
Guardian
Just before the launch of our Sparkling Superstars Zero Waste Cleaning Course, I was contacted by Amy Fleming who was writing a piece on 5 ways to clean your home naturally. She asked for some tips, which you can read here.
Resource Magazine
Resource Magazine were discussing Christmas trees and wanted to know what happened at Zero Waste Towers. You might be surprised to learn that we have an artificial one. Here’s why.
Euromonitor report
Poor research can sometimes work in your favour! Throughout the year, a 2008 Euromonitor report about global beauty packaging trends got associated with Zero Waste Week. This led to the following pieces of free PR, erroneously quoting the research as ours – what’s not to love?!:
Grazia
Grazia is a popular women’s magazine. This article discusses products, hints and tips to make your bathroom plastic free – something David Attenborough would be proud of. Later in the year, this article highlights the best eco friendly beauty products that don’t cost the earth.
Covetuer
Coveteur was established in 2011 as a passion project to explore the homes and closets of global street style stars and influencers. This article highlights 16 all-natural beauty brands that can help you reduce your impact on the environment.
Cosmopolitan
Cosmpolitan magazine needs no introduction! They wrote an article about the Body Shop relaunching their recycle and refill scheme and cited ‘my’ report as an introduction to the topic of waste and sustainability.
Virgin Media Television
On the Virgin Media Xpose website, they challenged their readers to take the #NoBuy beauty challenge to help the environment, using ‘my’ research as a hook.
Forbes
Forbes is a global media company, focusing on business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and lifestyle. In this article, they discussed new ways the beauty industry is testing sustainable practices. Later in the year, they wrote an article introducing a beauty brand who were tackling plastic pollution.
London Evening Standard
London’s award-winning newspaper highlighted some of the beauty brands that are helping us swap out single-use plastics by offering refils. They headed up the piece with the statistic about the amounts of packaging in the cosmetics industry. Read it here.
Pop Sugar
Pop Sugar is a global lifestyle media brand focused on a curious, insatiable audience who wants to live an inspired, healthy, and full life. They wrote a post highlighting 18 of the best sustainable beauty brands in the UK and cited the research about global cosmetics packaging. Read the article here.
