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TRAVEL RETAIL SUSTAINABILITY FORUM (TRSF)


More to come from TRBusiness as Travel Retail Sustainability Forum sets the bar high


The first Travel Retail Sustainability Forum held recently in a virtual format earned a swathe of industry plaudits and TRBusiness declared that earnest discussion on the need to tread a more environmentally conscious path is now a regular necessity for global travel retail.


N umerous suppliers,


retailers, airports, cruise lines and other stakeholders


in travel retail are already embracing corporate responsibility notions throughout their supply chains, but the inaugural Travel Retail Sustainability Forum (TRSF) forced a sea change in engagement. Taking place on Thursday 1


October during the TRMarketplace digital forum, TRSF highlighted more acutely how the industry is acting in areas such as plastic pollution, carbon reduction and the circular economy and identified where improvements can – and must be – made. Hosted by TRBusiness in


association with sponsor Duty Free Innovation, TRSF explored pre- and post-covid investments and consumer-facing practices to reduce plastic pollution and offset carbon reduction in line with TRSF’s manifesto commitments.


Backed by consumer insight TRBusiness was joined by a leading panel of thought leaders from different channels and categories for a dynamic and compelling 90-minute discussion on the mechanics of industry change. Clara Susset, Travel Retail


Research Director at m1nd-set revealed that 72% of travel retail and duty free shoppers recognised that a greater focus on sustainability by manufacturers would increase the likelihood of a purchase. Interestingly, 57% of consumers


indicated they would not seek out more sustainable/environmentally friendly products when shopping at the airport chiefly due to lack of time (32%). Although a telling 64% indicated


they would be willing to pay more for a product should it demonstrate its


NOVEMBER 2020


‘green’ credentials. During the session, m1nd-


set’s research flagged a lack of understanding when it came to consumers’ definitions of which packaging and bags are recyclable, biodegradable or compostable with 81% of shoppers having some kind of understanding or no understanding at all. “The opportunity is here to


communicate much better with consumers, but also advocate for better recycling schemes,” commented Maud Geerbex, Corporate Affairs Director Global Travel Retail, Mars Wrigley. “Currently a number of countries


are undertaking initiative in terms of recycling and they’re not very similar. It’s very important that we look to travel retail as a global industry and think about what will work best.” Geerbex drew a parallel with the


issue of product labelling on-pack, which due to packaging sizes and the need for mandatory information makes it difficult to inform consumers. She asked: “How can we find


better ways of sharing information that is not on-pack that will allow us to educate consumers a little bit better?” Elsewhere, Duncan Craig, Global


Project Director at Concourse flagged that non-reusable and non- compostable materials typically used for store fixtures and furniture end up in landfill, causing a blight to the environment. In a bid to address this, the company has adopted the principles of ‘Recover, Reuse and Recycle’ that echoes its commitment to the circular economy. One notable example is the


company’s use of new multi-layered eco-boards, used as a replacement for MDF, fibrewood and plywood.


TRBUSINESS 15


“The opportunity is here to communicate much better with consumers, but also advocate for better recycling schemes.”


Maud Geerbex, Corporate Affairs Director, Global Travel Retail, Mars Wrigley


These can be used for a range of purposes such as pop-up stores, activations and gondolas. “We are working with a certain


cognac brand to take their grape skins and make it into these boards,” said Craig. «


To watch a repeat of TRSF in full, visit TRBusiness.com and don’t forget to sign the TR Plastic Pledge to join an industry-wide ‘green movement’ committed to more emphatic change on sustainability. Plus stay close to TRBusiness for more detail on the exciting Travel Retail Sustainability Week initiative announced recently…


Above: The TRSF panellists were Simon Best, DFI; Duncan Craig, Concourse; Ambroise Fondeur, Lagardère Travel Retail; Maud Geerbex, Mars Wrigley ITR; Rachel Hawes, Distell; Clara Susset, m1nd-set; and James Prescott, Harding.


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