The Vending & Automated Retail Association (AVA) was pleased to welcome The Right Honourable Sir Alec Shelbrooke KBE MP, and Councillor Sam Firth to its offices in Wetherby last month.
They met with the AVA team to gain insight into how the association supports its members and represents the vending and automated retail industry. Discussions focused on the key legislative and regulatory challenges currently facing the industry.
Topics included the proposed ban on high-caffeine energy drinks, Defra’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reforms, and work by the Food Standards Agency and Public Health Scotland on nutritional profiling for products sold through vending and automated retail.
David Llewellyn, chief executive of AVA, emphasised the importance of engaging policymakers on these issues. He said:“We are grateful to our local MP for taking the time to visit and engage with us on some of our industry concerns. As a not-for-profit association, the AVA’s role is to ensure policymakers understand the practical realities on the ground, so regulation supports innovation, fairness, and consumer choice rather than unintentionally holding the sector back.”
The AVA continues to work closely with government bodies, regulators, and elected representatives to ensure the vending and automated retail industry’s voice is heard as new legislation and policy proposals are developed.
It is encouraging members to invite their local MPs to visit their businesses so they can gain a better understanding of the vending industry and the issues that matter to it – particularly the proposed ban on high caffeine energy drinks. For guidance on arranging a visit, please contact our Public Affairs Manager, Scott Sherlock.
