Store reductions prove popular

15 November 2006

Supermarkets and major brands have revealed how they are cutting down on the amount of packaging they are using with their produce.
Ben Bradshaw, minister for local environment, and Jennie Price, chief executive of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), met with the UK’s top 13 retailers to hear feedback, following last year’s Courtauld Commitment.
Measures already undertaken by large supermarkets are the introduction of 30% lighter wrapping across all ready-meal packaging by Marks & Spencer, and less packaging on Iceland’s own-brand pizzas.
In addition, the Co-op has also dropped boxes around its tomato puree products and will sell them just as tubes, while Boots is reducing the packaging around its shower gel by 18%.
Bradshaw, although pleased with progress made by some retailers, has called on food shoppers to report excessive wrapping to their local trading standards, and even just dump unnecessary packaging at checkouts.
Bradshaw said: ‘I am impressed by the commitment shown by retailers, but the action has to go further, and has to be more visible to consumers.
‘Consumers are making a significant contribution to tackling the nation’s waste by embracing recycling and we are now looking to retailers to step up and play their part by helping design out waste before it happens.’
Supermarkets were among the first organisations to sign up to the scheme – to design out packaging waste growth by 2008, deliver absolute reductions in packaging waste by 2010 and identify ways to tackle the problem of food waste – when it was launched in July last year.
The scheme was designed to help local authorities, many of which are struggling with European rules, to cut the amount of waste they will be allowed to landfill. The supermarkets have been making strides, with Asda and Sainsbury’s both setting packaging reduction targets of 10% by 2008 and 5% by 2010, respectively.
Waitrose has targets to keep future packaging levels below those of 2002, and has cut packaging waste growth by 15% in the last year.
Three major brands – Heinz, Northern Foods and Unilever – have also signed up to the agreement, it was announced this week.

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