Central England Co-op gives shoppers Christmas gifting choices which are kind to the planet

Posted by james brindle | Published: 26/10/2020


Shoppers at Central England Co-op’s stores can choose to reduce their impact on the environment this Christmas when they buy from a new range of Christmas toys and gift wrapping.

People getting ready for Christmas can now pick up soft toys, gift boxes, bows, bags, crackers and wrapping and feel that they are making more positive choices.

For the first time, Central England Co-op will be offering soft toys for Christmas by Keel eco. There’s a 20cm high Polar Bear or Reindeer to bring delight on Christmas morning, each complete with a cosy scarf. The huggable toys, available at just £9.99 are made from 100% recycled polyester which has been produced from plastic waste.

To present their gifts in a way that is as environmentally friendly as possible, shoppers can choose from the range of Christmas gift wrap from Eco Nature, a brand which is aiming to make all its items completely from recycled or sustainable materials. The launch of these products for Christmas builds on the retailer’s Eco Nature stationery range launched in September. Choices start at 75p for a gift bag and includes bows (6 for £1.00) and a gift box (£3.00).

Crackers are a purely seasonal item that few Christmas dinner parties would want to be without, but an exclusive, environmentally-friendly choice is now available too. My Green Christmas Crackers (£19.99 for 6) have seeds rather than the usual ‘throwaway’ toys. Containing the classic hat and joke, along with either Sunflower, White Daisy, Red Poppy, Chives, Basil or Parsley seeds, they are beautifully designed and made from FSC certified, 100% recyclable card and will bring a touch of class to the Christmas table, as well as something beautiful to look forward to in the Spring.

Hannah Gallimore, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Central England Co-op said: “Reducing our impact on the environment is at the heart of what makes Central England Co-op different. The business has achieved a 72% reduction in carbon since 2010 and a 25% reduction in food waste in partnership with FareShare that has generated over 1 million meals in the last year alone.

“There is also a commitment to removing single-use plastics from Co-op products by 2023. Giving our customers the option to choose beautiful Christmas products which have minimal impact on the environment is all a part of this drive.”

 

Notes to editors

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.

Co-operatives have always been there for their communities; they were formed to protect them and help them flourish. 

Our 7,550 colleagues who serve Members and customers work hard to ensure that co-operative values, principles and spirit flow through everything we do to help support and improve our local communities.

Owned by hundreds of thousands of Members, we have over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. 

We are proud of our reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.

We invest a percentage of our trading profit into local communities through our Community Dividend Fund scheme, have donated over £1.3 million to our corporate charity partner Dementia UK and also operate a pioneering food redistribution partnership with FareShare Midlands so unsold food goes to those in need.

Visit www.centralengland.coop for more information or follow us on Facebook or Twitter using @mycoopfood

Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle

Phone - 01543 421390

Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop