Press release -

Costa reaffirms Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability credentials with new packaging

Date: 16th September 2013 The UK’s favourite coffee shop, Costa, has today announced new product-wide packaging as part of the company’s wider sustainability and corporate social responsibility commitments.

Already appearing in stores across the country, the new packaging has been designed to use fewer resources, saving over 18 tonnes of paper annually. This initiative is part of the company’s drive to achieve zero waste to landfill operations by 2017.

The redesign also incorporates the Government’s new voluntary nutritional labeling scheme, which enables customers to more easily make healthier choices about the food they eat. Costa is the first coffee retailer in the UK to have products that include front-of-pack labeling consistent with that used across the food and drink industry and that is supported by food and health organisations including the British Heart Foundation. 

Commenting on Costa’s new packaging Jane Treasure, Head of Food said, “At Costa, we are delighted with the improvements we have made to our packaging and the customer response to it.  Now using fewer resources and displaying new nutritional labeling, this re-designed packaging demonstrates Costa’s role as an industry leader with regard to corporate responsibility and sustainability.”

For the first time, product packaging now also includes the Costa Foundation logo. The Costa Foundation was established to support coffee growers around the world, with the aim to relieve poverty, advance education and improve the health and environment of coffee-growing communities. To date, The Costa Foundation has funded the building of 42 schools and improved the social and economic welfare of coffee-growing communities.

Jane Treasure said, “Costa is dedicated to corporate responsibility both in the UK and abroad and we are proud that the Costa Foundation logo displayed on the packaging will allow consumers to understand the positive impact of their purchases amongst coffee-growing communities around the world.”

The new packaging is part of parent-company Whitbread’s wider corporate responsibility strategy, “Good Together” which aims to ensure long-term sustainability of the company whilst being a force for good in society. Under the Good Together strategy, Costa has set clear targets to achieve by 2017 related to the Environment, Customer Wellbeing and Team and Community.

- Ends -

For further information, please contact:

The Costa Press Office –

0207 908 6510

costapress@lexisagency.com

Topics

  • Packaging, packing

Categories

  • csr

The UK’s favourite coffee shop*

Costa is the UK’s favourite coffee shop, having been awarded “Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain in the UK and Ireland" by Allegra Strategies for three years running (2010, 2011 & November 2012).

Winner of “Best Branded Coffee Chain in Europe” Allegra Strategies 2011 and 2012.

With over 1,600 coffee shops in the UK and more than 1,000 overseas, Costa is the fastest growing coffee shop business in the UK and the second largest coffee shop operator in the world.  Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa has become the UK’s favourite coffee shop chain and has recently diversified into both the at-home and gourmet self-serve markets.

Costa is committed to looking after coffee-growers. That's why we've established The Costa Foundation, a registered charity. The Costa Foundation's aims are to relieve poverty, advance education and the health and environment of coffee-growing communities around the world. So far, The Costa Foundation has funded the building of 42 schools and improved the social and economic welfare of coffee-growing communities.

“Good Together” Corporate Responsibility strategy

Launched in 2009, “Good Together” is the wider corporate responsibility programme of Costa parent company, Whitbread. Good Together underpins the way the company works together with team members, customers and suppliers to ensure long-term sustainability of the company, whilst being a Force for Good in society.

Since 2011, Good Together has been incorporated into the management of Costa and Whitbread’s other operating business, Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants. 

There are three strategic pillars of Good Together: Team and Community, Customer Wellbeing and Environment Management. Costa has set clear and measurable targets related to each of these pillars to be achieved by 2017.

For more information, visit www.whitbread.co.uk/corporate-responsibility