Starting with an independent assessment of life cycle emissions across the brand’s product portfolio and supply chain, the partnership will enable Ella’s Kitchen to accurately measure the environmental impact of 210 products.
Using data developed in partnership with Cambridge University, WWF and WRAP, Ella’s Kitchen aimed to embed environmental impact across its decision-making processes – from ingredient selection and recipe development to product design and packaging manufacturing.
By working with Foodsteps, the manufacturer hoped to reduce the CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) intensity of its products by 50%, in support of its science-based target.
Granular detail
Chris Jenkins – head of impact at Ella’s Kitchen – highlighted the level of granular detail the company needed to be able to track in order to make a significant cut to its carbon emissions and safeguard the planet for future generations.
“The platform [Foodsteps] will give us full visibility of the carbon impact of every decision we make,” he explained. “From recipe development to ingredient selection, to the choices we make on packaging and processing, we will now be able to make data driven decisions and look at how we can reduce, mitigate, and minimise the impact of our products right from the very beginning.
“Through this partnership I believe we can continue to develop and deliver great tasting, nutritious products packed full of fruit and veggies, whilst also working even harder to minimise our impact to leave the smallest footprint we can.”
Sources of carbon emissions
Currently, about 75% of the brand’s carbon emissions come from ingredients and packaging. The partnership will focus on equipping the company with data so it can make better decisions across its product portfolio, including on ingredient sourcing, product development and packaging, and follows the brand’s commitment to make 73% of its pouches fully recyclable at kerbside by the end of 2024.
Foodsteps chief executive Anya Doherty added: “Our partnership with Ella’s Kitchen demonstrates an important step towards decarbonising our food system: embedding environmental impact data and decision-making into the food product development process.
“Ella’s are ideal partners for us given their commitment to be an ambitious and forward-thinking force for sustainability in the food system, and we’re thrilled that they will find great use for our software platform and data to achieve their food carbon reduction targets. We look forward to helping Ella’s create nutritious, planet-conscious food for little ones.”
Meanwhile, drinks manufacturer Capri-Sun has launched its first ever fully recyclable pouch across 200ml single serve packs of its Orange and Blackcurrant & Apple flavours.
