The way we live—through the way we eat, wash, and travel—has an impact on the climate. The means to reduce our carbon footprint are largely in the hands of consumers, who are increasingly aware of these issues.
How can we do this? By revisiting our lifestyles and adjusting certain habits.
Housing is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, followed by transport and food.[1]. Properly insulating your home and reducing your water consumption are among the actions to be taken.
Food represents the third largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting sector. In France, agriculture accounts for 17,4% of GHG emissions, 10,4% of which is attributable to cattle farming.[2]. And even though efforts have been made to reduce GHG emissions in this sector, reducing meat consumption, particularly red meat, is an important lever for reducing one's ecological footprint. At the same time, eating seasonal fruits and vegetables helps support the local economy while avoiding polluting transport for products to reach our plates.
Brand engagement
To meet consumer demand, brands have no choice but to make their climate commitments widely visible and transparent. Some of them are adhering to 1% for the Planet, an organization that supports concrete actions on the ground by allowing companies to donate 1% of their turnover to environmental causes. Today in France, 1000 companies are members.
Other companies finance their operations through The Nef , a citizen banking cooperative that only supports projects with ecological added value.
The appeal of local products
During the health crisis, the French turned to local products, the consumption of which increased by 6% between June 2020 and May 2021. More than one in three French people now want to buy more locally.[3].
Local in a Jar, the artisanal, organic, and local cannery in Avignon, offers soups, compotes, spreads, and cooked vegetables in glass bottles and jars. The company works for its own brand A côté, but also on a contract basis for farmers themselves, local canteens, and major organic brands. Local en Bocal only works with organic producers located between 30 and 150 km from its workshop.
Located in Drôme Provençale, The Fabulous Garden is a producer of rare and ancient varieties of vegetables and herbs using permaculture and biodynamic methods. He then processes the fruit of his crops on site. Their credo: " from seed to plate " The company thus prepares a fine range of sauces, spreads and pestos.
Fine preserves of old vegetables and fruits from Variety, located in Haute-Garonne, are produced in the same spirit. These crops of old, peasant or so-called population varieties are rich in flavors and nutrients. The actors of seeds, main crops and finished products come from the South of France, and mainly from Occitanie, this to reduce transport while forging local ties.
Plant-based alternatives to meat products
75% of GHG emissions from French agriculture come from livestock farming, two-thirds of which are attributable to cattle farming[4]In terms of consumption, red meat has the greatest impact: one kilogram of beef generates 16 kilograms of CO2 against 6 kilograms of CO2 for pork or 0,7 kilograms of CO2 for one kilogram of wheat It's essential to offer alternatives, and brands have understood this: organic shelves are now full of high-quality, original, and flavorful plant-based innovations.
Originally founded around tofu, the company Tossolia advocates quality, artisanal plant-based cuisine. Its varied range of tofu (olive, smoked, turmeric, garlic, and chive) is accompanied by plant-based burgers and cooked legumes.
German society Wheaty has been providing vegan meat substitutes and sausages since 1993.
For PalaceDeveloping plant-based cuisine is a guarantee of health and an ecological act. Its sauces (plain, béchamel, alfredo, shiitake) and spreads (garlic and herbs, cucumber and chives, etc.), creamy and delicious, are prepared from cashew milk. This provides vitamins, minerals and proteins while limiting salt and saturated fats.
Dips vegetable sauces Yum&Wild are prepared with chickpeas grown in Occitanie, cooked then mixed with natural ingredients. Integrated into an upcycling process, the cooking water, called " aquafaba » is emulsified with French sunflower oil and spices to create mayonnaise. The ingredients are sourced locally, in Occitanie.
Circular economy: the future in motion
The circular economy promotes essential values in this fundamental movement aimed at reducing the use of natural resources. Reuse, reduce, recycle—three actions to develop responsible consumption.
To make sustainability the norm
Purchasing sustainable products allows you to reuse them as many times as necessary. Qwetch, cans and bottles Artists Paris, cups, mugs and steel equipment from Klean Canteen, the gourds double (whose unscrewable cap serves as a cup), are part of this lasting movement.
Sensitized to the devastating pollution caused by plastic in Asia, Jérémy and Magali Tribou had the idea of Cap Bambou by using a bamboo straw for the first time. The company has been run since 2019 by Vincent Penel and his partner Eulalie. Their product range (bathroom, kitchen, baby kit) is made from raw bamboo, not bamboo fiber, the latter of which is sometimes controversial.
Also alternatives to plastic, aesthetic and functional products made of bamboo, glass, wood and metal from Pebbly allow you to cook and entertain in style. Cutting sets, cheese boards, bread baskets, various types of boards, measuring jugs, kitchen scales... The wide range meets all needs.
No more plastic boxes that we throw away after our lunch! For nomadic workers or lovers of escape, the Bento from My lucky star is a lunch box made entirely from plant-based materials, free of GMOs and melamine. Large in size, with two large 500 ml containers, an intermediate container, and a lid, it weighs only 200 g. The company also produces refillable water bottles for children, a real revolution for this easily discarded packaging.
Indutex, a specialist in impregnating packaging fabrics with wax, offers "eco wraps," which are a great alternative to plastic film or aluminum. One of its innovations: Vege Wrap, coated with a new-generation vegetable wax.
To provide as many professionals as possible with plastic-free and zero-waste products, the distribution company SP Eco Distribution relies on an extensive catalog. Its branch in Provence makes delivery in France easy. In addition to its own products, the company distributes the brands Parker, Paos, Acorella, Minimall, The Last Whale, etc.
In order to limit waste, Hammock has designed a patented, leak-proof, washable diaper. Easy to use, it contains a waterproof carrycot that holds a washable absorbent insert. A biodegradable disposable layer collects stool.
The Greens is a leading company in custom textiles for businesses, with organic cotton products. Closely combining entrepreneurship and the social and solidarity economy, the Breton company has forged a true partnership with its workshop in India.
Deposit, anti-waste and composting
The concept of deposits is coming back to the forefront, thanks to projects like that of My bottle is called come back, based in Drôme. At Bocalerie and Boc-Trotteurs, you can buy local and organic food in jars at the drive-through. Glass bottles are washed after use and returned by the consumer, in exchange for a voucher of 10 cents per jar. This allows " to save 79% of greenhouse gas emissions " explains Claire Richeux, project coordinator, and saves 33% of water. Washing bottles is actually more environmentally friendly than making new ones.
In a sector where we are used to throwing away bottles at the end of their life, the cosmetics brand Cozie dares to deposit and reuse. Only the pumps cannot be washed. Collected by the company, they are recycled thanks to the partnership with Terracycle. According to a study by EVEA conducted for Cozie (funded by ADEME), reusing containers reduces carbon emissions by 79% compared to containers thrown in the trash.
Too big, too small, too misshapen... 15% of fruits and vegetables are not retained after food calibration. A waste that the Alsatian company did not want. Me ugly and good, which uses them to make good 100% French juices: carrot, lemon, apple, grape, orange, Corsican clementine, etc.
Eco-digesters® byEco Digest offer practical and optimized solutions for the treatment of biowaste, both for professionals and individuals (marketing in 2022). They are capable of treating all types of organic waste on site: fruit and vegetable peelings, meat, fish, plants, all in just 24 hours, with a 90% reduction in weight and volume. When we know that the collection of biowaste is questionable due to the consumption of trucks (even hybrids), this type of biowaste management appears much more suitable.
And to treat yourself to good wine without pesticides, we turn to Oé company, certified B Corp and mission-driven company. The first wine brand to issue deposits in France, Oé aims to achieve zero waste.
Natexpo brings together numerous companies committed to the fight against global warming. Working locally, developing plants, and offering alternatives to plastic are among the paths taken by these agents of change.
[1] Source: Ministry of Ecology
[2] Source: Idèle Livestock Institute
[3] Le Figaro, according to the IRI study, an institute specializing in the analysis of consumer product data: https://www.lefigaro.fr/conso/consommation-plus-d-un-francais-sur-trois-souhaite-acheter-plus-de-produits-locaux-20210630#:~:text=D’apr%C3%A8s%20une%20nouvelle%20%C3%A9tude,que%20de%202%2C3%25.
[4] Source: https://www.decodagri.fr/lelevage-emet-plus-de-gaz-a-effect-de-serre-que-le-transport/