Amidst increasing consumer pressure the UK supermarkets sustainability drive continues. Naturally this is having a significant effect on the packaging industry and we at Chapelton are here to keep our customers up to date with this news.
Read on to see how this might effect your products and get in touch if you need further support or advice from us.
Iceland announces 29% reduction in plastic packaging
The frozen food retailer was at the forefront of plastic-free packaging when it announced it would remove all plastic packaging from its own-label ranges by 2023.
In the words of MD Richard Walker this reduction of plastic is a “huge target”. The retailer gave an update in March that it has already achieved a 29% reduction. That is a total of 3,794 tonnes of plastic removed in just two years.
Citing infrastructure issues in the manufacturing industry as some of the reasons why they have not progressed even further, Iceland has shown great commitment to the cause by creating working groups with nearly 100 of their own label suppliers.
Success stories include:
- Replacement of plastic egg boxes with pulp trays
- Introduction of paper bands to replace plastic bags on bananas
- Removal from sale of single-use carrier bags
- Switching production of frozen meals out of black plastic trays
You can read Icelands latest press release and download their‘Plastic Annual Report’ for free.
Sainsbury’s update on ‘Net Zero by 2040’ target
Sainsbury’s declared their initiative earlier this year to become Net Zero by 2040. This is aligned with the Paris Climate Change Agreement but 10 years ahead of the UK government pledge. A move which really highlights how the UK supermarkets sustainability drive is leading the World
To achieve this the company has outlined a range of initiatives which cover seven core areas:
- Carbon
- Plastics
- Recycling
- Food waste
- Water
- Biodiversity
- Health
Depending on the article you read Sainsbury’s commitment is even greater than other retailers and is backed by a £1billion investment programme to achieve the changes. You can read what Sainsbury’s had to say directly on their ‘Sainsbury’s to become Net Zero by 2040’ page.
For food manufacturers, it is clear this push will result in more plastic-free packaging and a focus on packaging that preserves and extends the shelf life of products. This will reduce food waste and will keep carbon emissions associated with logistics down.
Tesco removes shrink wrap from multi-packs
Starting in March 2020 the aisles at Tesco started to look distinctly different as shrink wrap was removed from certain multi-pack products. This move will see 67m less pieces of plastic in Tesco stores – a total of 350 tonnes of plastic a year.
This is part of Tesco’s commitment to also remove 1bn pieces of plastic from its stores and move away from suppliers that use excessive non-recyclable packaging.
Chief executive Dave Lewis discusses the supermarket’s plan to ditch plastic wrap on tinned food in the BBC interview below. You can see further details of the company’s commitment to sustainable packaging in the Sustainable Packaging area of the website.
Interestingly in some of the commentary the company notes the risks to the environment of simple substitution in the UK supermarkets sustainability drive. This is the principle that replacing a single-use plastic with an equally unnecessary single-use material is not always a good thing.
How to keep your products on supermarket shelves
In terms of environmental issues and the demands on the packaging industry, there are many factors to be considered. Brand owners and food manufacturers must look at their packaging and be proactive with their solutions to ensure that the major retailers continue to stock their products.
For many businesses in both the food and non-food packaging industry these changes are significant. At Chapelton we work with our customers to understand their challenges and help with their strategies and the development of solutions that meet with legislative and consumer needs.
Get in contact today on 01622 882280 or request a call back and we will contact you.
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