The Patagonia Action Works Café opens its doors for three weeks of activism and inspiration in London’s Broadway Market.

Following the recent shut down of the Capital by climate activists and the latest set of climate strikes last week (on the 20^th), the café offers citizens the chance to learn how to make a difference, with the expert guidance of UK environmental organisations who are supported by Patagonia, via the 1% for the Planet giving programme.

Inspiration for the café comes from Patagonia Action Works, the brand’s new online platform (launched across Europe yesterday) which connects people with local, national and global grassroots organisations fighting to solve the climate crisis. Through the online platform, users can volunteer skills and time, sign petitions, discover local events and donate money to causes they are passionate about.

Environmental non-profits on the platform are from all over the world, including UK and Irish NGOs such as Extinction Rebellion, Save Our Rivers, Friends of the Earth, 10:10, Irish Seed Savers, Surfers Against Sewage and Rewilding Britain.

Four ways a visit to the Patagonia Action Works Café will ignite the activist in you

Inspiration for how to act

‘Action Postcards’ displayed in the café will feature 24 different actions that individuals can take, depending on how much time they have to spare, from five minutes: Signing a petition to save the Right Whale from extinction, to seven days: Filing a Climate Litigation case against the government.

There will also be eight skill cards, offering opportunities to provide skilled volunteering to a range of NGOs, in areas such as photography, business development and accountancy.

Get into the mind of an activist

Practical and inspiring books written by thought leaders and activists are available to leaf through and borrow.

Start a conversation with someone making a difference

Outside of the café, on Broadway Market itself, UK environmental groups will be running stalls each market day, and fielding questions on what they do and how you can help.

 Learn how to be effective

From a workshop on NVDA (Non-Violent Direct Action) to a discussion on carbon literacy or a walking exploration of the rivers of London, there are a range of free activities to sign up for, that aim to inspire, educate and galvanise support for tackling the climate crisis.

Mihela Hladin Wolfe, Patagonia’s Director of Environmental Initiatives, EMEA, says, “With Patagonia Action Works we want to help more people go further in their environmental activism. The platform should be an entrance into activism for first timers and a place to connect and share for those who have already begun”.

Patagonia Action Works Café, 15 Broadway Market, London, E8 4PH

Open seven days a week: 10am to 7pm Mon to Fri, 12pm – 5pm Sundays

To find out more about Patagonia Action Works visit eu.patagonia.com/actionworks or watch the new campaign film here.

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Highland Spring introduces ‘A to Anywhere’ – the latest strand in its ‘Brave by Nature’ multi-channel brand campaign. With 89% of consumers not drinking enough water on a daily basis, the activity is set to help educate consumers on the importance of healthy hydration and drive growth in the bottled water category.

As the UK’s leading ethical producer of natural source bottled water, from the Ochil Hills in Perthshire, Highland Spring is championing healthy hydration to get consumers from ‘A to Anywhere’.

The £1.75 million campaign will position the brand as the natural choice for staying hydrated on everyday journeys, no matter where you are going or what the day throws at you.

It will include Highland Spring’s biggest experiential activation since it was founded in 1979. Inspired by Scotland’s Ochil Hills, the fully interactive brand immersion event will start in Glasgow this May then continue on to Manchester and London through to June.

The activity will take consumers on their own hydration journey by displaying a showcase of hydration facts and statistics, sourced in partnership with the Natural Hydration Council (NHC) of which Highland Spring is a founding member.

LCD displays featuring the waterfalls of Alva Glen and a 360-degree virtual reality (VR) experience will transport consumers to the protected land where all Highland Spring waters are sourced from.

An integral part of the activation will be educating consumers on the brand’s environmental credentials and how they can play their part in the road to change by ensuring every bottle gets recycled for a second life.

Earlier this year, Highland Spring launched its new eco bottle™, made from 100% recycled and recyclable plastic. The eco bottle joins the existing Highland Spring range, where all bottles can be recycled to give them multiple lives.

Brand ambassadors named ‘Hydration Heroes’ and ‘Recycling Heroes’ will be distributing Highland Spring eco bottles™ to consumers in need of everyday hydration on selected days throughout the campaign. Consumers will learn more about the circular economy of plastic and be encouraged to recycle the bottles afterwards.

Other key elements of the ‘A to Anywhere’ campaign include TV advertising in Scotland as well as an outdoor digital campaign in Glasgow and London, targeting rail and underground stations. PR, social media and influencer marketing will also help drive further awareness.

Carol Saunders, Head of Marketing at Highland Spring Group, said: “‘As we move into year three of our ‘Brave by Nature’ brand campaign we are confident that ‘A to Anywhere’ will inspire consumers to think more about the importance of staying hydrated and the need to drink water throughout the day, wherever they are. We want people to learn that our bottles have multiple lives when disposed of responsibly and as part of this, we will be truly immersing them in the Highland Spring brand – helping them to uncover the beauty of the Ochil Hills, our commitment to the environment and, of course, the unrivalled taste of our Highland Spring natural source water.”

‘A to Anywhere’ will continue through to September when Highland Spring will be unveiled as the Official Hydration Partner of the Solheim Cup 2019. This prestigious women’s biennial golf tournament will take place at Gleneagles from 9^th – 15^th September, where Highland Spring will offer healthy hydration to players and spectators alike.

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Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Virgin Pure have launched purified water refill stations in Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City, in a move to encourage the 77m shoppers who use the centres each year to move away from single-use plastic.

Visitors will be able to sample the brand’s popular table-top WaterBars and stay hydrated whilst they shop the January sales and enjoy their time spent in Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s London centres. One refill station has been permanently installed in each destination, with plans to introduce another four by the end of 2019.

In-centre media screens will help direct people to the stations, where signage welcomes visitors and passers-by to ‘Refill Here’ with unlimited, perfectly chilled, pure water at the touch of a button. Virgin Pure’s WaterBars remove bacteria, chemicals and toxins, reducing chlorine by 99%, while retaining essential minerals like calcium and magnesium. The result is great tasting and refreshing water, ideal to keep hydration levels up whilst at home or out and about.

Paul Buttigieg, Director of Commercial Partnerships, Shopping Centre Management, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: “We’re hugely excited to launch these water refill stations in association with Virgin Pure at both Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City. This is a brand partnership that will help our visitors stay hydrated during a busy time of year, and in an environmentally friendly way, while showcasing Virgin Pure WaterBars to a high footfall audience.”

Virgin Pure previously had a kiosk at Westfield London, allowing visitors to sample pure water and discover a new way to drink water at home. The WaterBars offer unlimited, chilled and boiling pure water on tap and include smart features such as energy saving sleep and wake-up modes, auto fill levels and precise temperature controls.

Tom Stazicker CEO, Virgin Pure, added: “Virgin Pure water always tastes crisp, clean and refreshing, which is why 90% of our customers tell us they drink more water once they have a WaterBar installed. We’re looking forward to keeping shoppers at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City hydrated, while reducing plastic bottle waste.”

As part of the commercial partnership, Virgin Pure’s WaterBars have also been installed in Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s UK offices at each centre for company employees.

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Kate Moss, Harry Kane, Cara Delevingne, Sienna Miller, Rita Ora, HRH Princess Eugenie of York, Fearne Cotton, Ronnie Wood, Will Poulter and Bob Geldof have joined forces with Sky Ocean Rescue and ocean conservation movement Project 0 to launch a reusable limited-edition product range to inspire people to #PassOnPlastic.

All proceeds from the range will go to initiatives protecting ocean health, including Sky Ocean Rescue’s partnership with WWF-UK, which funds marine protection areas covering 400,000km² of our oceans.

Each artwork was created with a bespoke ocean-related design for the new Pass On Plastic range, which includes a reusable water bottle, a coffee cup, a tote bag, an on-the-go cutlery set and a three-piece beeswax wrap set – an alternative to cling film.

The products offer reusable versions of the five most common single-use plastic items currently contributing to the quarter of a tonne of plastic entering our oceans every second. New research by Sky Ocean Rescue worryingly reveals the UK consumes 10.7bn single-use plastic bags, 14.1bn drinks bottles, more than 4bn hot drink cups, 1.5bn throwaway cutlery sets and 12.2bn single-use lunch packages in a single year. The Pass On Plastic range provides alternatives to these products, helping everyone make simple everyday changes to stop our oceans from drowning in plastic.

Entrepreneur and artist Fearne Cotton said: “I was so honoured to be asked to create a design for this exceptional range of reusable products that help people pass on plastic to protect the ocean from being the unhappy recipient of ridiculous amounts of this indestructible material. I was inspired to draw my squid by an image that exploded on the internet this year of a seahorse grasping an ear bud.  How impactful could we be if we stopped to think about the unintended consequences of these simple everyday actions that have real long-term consequences – often with devastating effects? It’s my sincere hope that this range of products will inspire people to reduce their plastic footprint now. And, after all, it’s a lot more stylish to be single-use plastic free!”

All the products have been produced and packaged to minimise impact on the environment. Suppliers were carefully selected for their ethical and environmental standards and practices, sharing the values of the Sky Ocean Rescue campaign.

The range will be available to purchase from Wednesday 7 November at Sky.com/POP and at the Pass On Plastic pop-up shop at 20 Beak Street, Soho, London from Thursday 8 November for two months, while stock lasts.

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TracyLocke London has been appointed the lead global marketing agency for TOMRA, following a competitive pitch process.

TOMRA has hired TracyLocke to establish its brand and introduce their reverse vending solutions to the UK market, and to support marketing communications globally. The appointment comes amidst a background of heightened consumer awareness around the environmental concerns of plastic use, and the Scottish Government’s consultation on a deposit return scheme which is also expected in England.

TOMRA are the global leaders in reverse vending solutions and are present in over 40 markets, they are currently looking to continue their recycling revolution in the UK. The campaign developed by TracyLocke will include a full B2B and B2C communications strategy to inform key retailers on the imminent relevance of reverse vending solutions and drive behavioural change amongst a consumer base of shoppers who buy and use plastic bottles and cans.

Of the partnership, Mark Brill, TOMRA’s UK Sales & Marketing Director, said: “We were incredibly impressed by TracyLocke’s understanding of our business objectives and creative response. We are delighted to partner with TracyLocke London on our exciting launch plans for the UK.”

Angus Gibson, Regional Director at TracyLocke, commented: “We are so proud to be part of a marketing partnership that will drive impactful behavioural change in the UK. TOMRA has had large-scale success around the world with its innovative reverse vending machine solutions, and we look forward to implementing this success across the UK and supporting their continued efforts globally.”

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Lucky Generals and Goodstuff have teamed up with virtual technology specialist Zappar to create an augmented reality (AR) mobile experience that educates young families about environmental sustainability and brings to life Yorkshire Tea’s passion for trees. This campaign also features a partnership with Guardian Labs, aiming to drive a deeper understanding of the project through longer form content.

The introduction of the AR experience comes during year four of Yorkshire Tea’s five-year pledge to plant one million trees across the UK and Kenya. Aimed at families with young children, the campaign looks to increase understanding of why trees are important in a fun and engaging way.

Using Zappar’s augmented reality platform, ZapWorks, the experience is accessed by scanning full page press adverts using the camera feature on Shazam. AR technology then transports users into the forests of the UK and Kenya. Users are given interactive challenges which include planting seeds, learning about various tree species, picking avocados for farmers to take to market and tapping to oxygenate clouds of carbon dioxide with trees. A friendly narrator acts as a play-a-long guide, highlighting the importance of trees at every stage.

The campaign will run across a series of magazine titles and supplements within newsbrands such as The Evening Standard, The Times and The Observer, as well as being distributed via activity sheets in schools across the UK. In tandem, a partnership with Guardian Labs will drive a deeper understanding of the project through longer form content.

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Matt Henkes, Profile Manager at Bray Leino, commented: “This was an unmissable opportunity to help promote #2MinuteBeachClean in a fun and memorable way. Our office is in North Devon, a short drive from many of the UK’s best beaches. So for us, the issue of ocean and beach plastic pollution is one that’s close to our hearts.”

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Coca-Cola Great Britain has partnered with Merlin Entertainments to offer people half price tickets to some of the UK’s most popular family attractions in exchange for recycling their used plastic drink bottles via a new network of reverse vending machines installed at Merlin theme parks.

A trial at four of Merlin’s leading attractions (Alton Towers Resort, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and LEGOLAND Windsor) will run between 25th July and 19th October 2018, inviting people to bring and recycle any 500ml plastic bottle via on-site reverse vending machines in exchange for a voucher to receive 50% off entry at 30 participating Merlin attractions, including Alton Towers Resort, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and LEGOLAND Windsor.

The project follows research by Coca-Cola Great Britain, revealing 64% of British consumers would recycle more on-the-go if they were rewarded instantly for their actions.

Coca-Cola and Merlin say that the trial is the first of its kind in the UK to offer people a more valuable reward than the original purchasing price of the plastic drinks bottle they recycle, as the 50% off voucher equates to a saving of around £27 when buying a Merlin attraction day pass.

The partnership comes a year since Coca-Cola Great Britain launched its sustainable packaging strategy alongside a global goal to collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one it sells, by 2030, to help ensure a world without waste.

Jon Woods, General Manager of Coca-Cola Great Britain, says: “We want to reward people for doing the right thing by recycling their bottles and hope to encourage some people who wouldn’t otherwise have done so. Through this exciting new trial with Merlin Entertainments we hope to remind people how valuable their empty plastic bottle is. All of our bottles can be recycled and we want to get as many of them back as possible so they can be turned into new bottles and not end up as litter.”

He continues: “This is just one of the actions that we’re taking to play our part in achieving a World Without Waste. We buy more recycled plastic in the UK than any other company and we are in the process of doubling the recycled plastic in all our bottles from 25% to 50% by 2020. We’re also running television campaigns encouraging people to recycle, putting clear recycling messages across all of our packs and we’re supportive of new interventions, such as deposit return schemes, to see if they improve recycling rates.”

Sandra Hazel, Head of Force for Good at Merlin Entertainments, observes: “This partnership with Coca-Cola Great Britain demonstrates our shared ambition to use our brands for good. We’re constantly looking for ways to raise awareness and help contribute to a better environment. As a responsible business and an advocate for marine conservation, we’re pleased to be joining forces with Coca-Cola Great Britain to encourage people to recycle more this summer, by rewarding them with family fun.”

Jon Dormer, Managing Director at Unisan UK, supplier of the CafeCrush reverse vending machines being deployed in the trial, adds: “Our CafeCrush reverse vending machines reward people for recycling. Users simply insert an empty plastic bottle, it’s crushed and then they receive an incentive. The way the machine works means the bottles are not contaminated by other waste and so, are perfect for recycling. Also, because they are crushed, reducing waste volume by up to 90 per cent, more bottles can be stored and therefore less transportation is needed to get them to recycling facilities – a win for consumers and the environment.”

The announcement is the latest in a series of actions from Coca-Cola Great Britain to ensure its packaging is as sustainable as possible and to encourage more people to recycle. Since the launch of its sustainable packaging strategy last year, Coca-Cola has introduced clearer on-pack recycling messaging on its bottles, and aired a dedicated recycling TVC called ‘Love Story’ which has reached over 30m people.

Coca-Cola Great Britain also continues to be the largest user of recycled food grade plastic in the UK with a commitment to increase the recycled PET in its packs from 25% to 50% by 2020. The company also continues to work closely with UK and Scottish governments looking at the introduction of a well-designed deposit return scheme and other ways to increase recovery and recycling rates.

Coca-Cola Great Britain is responsible for marketing 20 brands and over 80 products to consumers across Great Britain. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognisable brands, its portfolio includes Fanta, Sprite, Dr Pepper, Oasis, glaceau vitaminwater, glaceau smartwater, Schweppes, Lilt, and Powerade.

Merlin Entertainments plc is a global leader in location based, family entertainment. As Europe’s biggest – and the world’s second-largest – visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates over 120 attractions, 18 hotels and six holiday villages in 25 countries across four continents, with more than 65 million visitors worldwide.

Unisan UK provides environmental sustainability and recycling solutions to over 1,000 major UK brands, serving Food & Drink Manufacturing, Car Manufacturing, Hospitals & Care Homes, Distribution Centres and the Corporate Facilities Industry.

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