Plastic pollution is a huge problem and the UK supermarkets have had no choice but to crack down on their use of plastics. From customer pressure to potential government legislation they have had to make changes quickly and address their reliance on plastics. From shopping bags to single use plastics, our supermarkets are some of the worst offenders when it comes to plastic usage.
So what actions are our retailers taking to avoid excessive use of plastic and reduce plastic waste?
TESCO
Defra figures suggest that the majority of the UK’s year on year plastic bag decrease was all thanks to Tesco. 333 million plastics bags were sold in in Tesco in 2017, compared to 637 million the previous year. The large decline is due to Tesco discontinuing their 5p single use bags altogether. They now only supply their sturdier bags for life or encourage people to bring their own. Tesco use the proceeds of their bags for life to invest in the local communities.
By the end of 2019 Tesco plan to have removed all packaging which is not easily recyclable from their own brand products. The group published a plan in which they pledged to reduce half of their packaging weight by 2025, they also plan to make all packaging recyclable or compostable and ensure all paper and board material is sustainably sourced.
Tesco are working hard to do their bit, including banning plastic stemmed cotton buds, they also banned microbeads over a year before the nationwide ban took effect.
It is safe to say Tesco are doing their bit in the reduction of plastic and we can only assume their efforts and innovations will only increase.
SAINSBURY’S
Most of the UK’s biggest supermarkets reported a year-on-year drop in their carrier bag sales. Sainsbury’s however recorded a 2.2 million rise, the reason for this rise is unclear. They have confirmed that the net proceeds from carrier bag sales go towards their community budgets to support local causes and charities, however no specifics have been given.
Sainsbury’s main packaging goal is to reduce volumes of own brand packaging by 50% by 2020, this is in comparison with their 2005 packaging levels. It is almost two-thirds of the way to its goal so 2019 will be a big year for further change.
Sainsbury’s maintain that it continuously backs packaging innovations which reduce food waste. These innovations are not necessarily always plastic free, they do however work to reduce food wastage and unnecessary packaging.
Sainsbury’s in 2017 removed plastic from their own brand cotton buds. Considering they sell more than 300 million per year it is expected to remove more than 50 tonnes of plastic from production.
ASDA
Asda, like Sainsbury’s reported a big rise in carrier bag sales in 2017. It sold 27.2 million more than it did in 2016. However in 2018 Asda pledged to remove all carrier bags and only sell their “bags for life” like Tesco. In 2017 Asda contributed £321,935 from the sales of their carrier bags to numerous charities. Asda has set itself a target to ensure all own brand packaging is widely recyclable by 2025.
In 2018 ASDA replaced all plastic straws in its cafes for biodegradable paper ones, they have pledged to remove all plastic cutlery and disposable coffee cups by the end of the year. They are also working on a reward scheme, £10,000 will be awarded for every workable innovation suggested to tackle the plastic issue. They are listening to their customers and working with them to make a change.
MORRISONS
Morrisons reported a 4% year on year decrease in the amount of plastic carrier bags it sold. Selling 8.4 million fewer in 2017 than in 2016. In a bid to incentivise customers to bring their own reusable bags it has removed single use plastic bags entirely. The vast majority of the money Morrisons makes goes to the Morrisons Foundation, a charity run by the group that helps those in need in the UK.
Morrisons promised to ensure 100% of the plastic in its own brand packaging is recyclable by 2020, they are already 82% of the way there.
When is comes to eliminating plastic from its stores, Morrisons is so far one of the most successful. They stopped selling plastic straws and plastic stemmed cotton buds and removed single use plastic bags from the fruit and veg aisle. This change guarantees more than 150 million plastic bags are kept form our landfill and our oceans.
Small changes can have a huge impact.
MARKS & SPENCER
M&S reported a 0.2% drop in plastic bag sales, it might not sound like a big number but it works out to 218 million less sold than in 2016. M&S are ahead of the game when it comes to tackling plastic, they started reducing their plastic long before the other supermarket groups and before the government stepped in. M&S introduced a 5p bag charge back in 2008 and hosted a string on beach clean ups. The money raised from the bag charge is split 50/50. Half going to local charities and causes chosen by the stores, the other half going to national charities such as WWF & Unicef.
M&S committed to making its plastic packaging widely recyclable by 2022. It also plans to become a zero waste business by 2025.
They plan to develop a single recyclable plastic polymer that can be used across their entire range of products, ensuring all of their items can be recycled. M&S stopped using tea bags containing plastic and phased out non-recyclable coffee pods in its cafes. They have replaced their plastic cutlery with wooden alternatives and are long standing advocates for plastic free cotton buds.
M&S have been at the forefront of plastic reduction for many years, we can only assume with the introduction of government legislation their innovations will increase.
THE CO-OP
The Co-op sold 5.3 million fewer bags in 2017 than it did in 2016. The profits raised from the sale of their carrier bags and their reusable bag range is put back into local communities where staff and customers can choose their preferred cause.
In 2018 The Co-op introduced fully biodegradable carrier bags as a trial in 22 stores across Manchester. The trial was successful and the bio bags were rolled out to 1,400 of its 2,500 stores.
The Co-op’s long term ambition is for 100% of its product packaging to be recyclable, with an immediate target of 80% by 2020. They recently phased out the hard to recycle black plastic from its range of meat trays to create a more widely recycled version.
They became the first retailer to roll out a fully biodegradable range of tea bags across its own brand products, phasing out those that contain plastics. The chain were ahead of the game when it comes to plastic reduction. They removed micro beads from their own brand products in 2001 and replaced plastic stemmed cotton buds with paper alternatives in 2006. Like M&S they have been working towards eliminating plastics for a number of years.
The Co-op was one of the first UK supermarkets to publicly back a deposit return system alongside Iceland. They are in favour of creating a system which increases recycling and reduces litter.
WAITROSE
Waitrose bag sales did not see a large decrease even with the bag charge. They sold only 57,000 less in 2017 than they did in 2016. Last year Waitrose launched a reusable bag made from recycled plastic bottles. The profit from the sale of these bags in England goes to the Dementia Centre of Excellence at University College. In Wales and Scotland the money is split between local causes and charities.
Waitrose has committed to making all of its own label packaging widely recyclable, reusable or home compostable by 2025. It has also pledged not to sell any own label food in black plastic beyond this year. In 2018 Waitrose trialled tomato packaging made from tomato leaves alongside plastic free packaging for its range of cooked meats.
Last year they stopped selling plastic straws in all their stores, they also replaced all plastic straws for paper versions in their cafes. Disposable coffee cups have also been removed from all of their cafes and stores. In 2016 they became the first retailer to stop selling any product that contained microbeads and they have banned plastic stemmed cotton buds.
Waitrose is actively lobbying the Government to reform its recycling policies and improve the infrastructure to boost public collection rates.
The UK supermarkets are working hard to make changes and reduce the plastic they have on offer.
Whether this is purely down to new legislation or has been a company goal for a while, they are all taking steps to make positive changes and reduce the waste we produce.
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