Major UK Retailers and Brands Urged to Stand up and be Counted on Packaging and Food Waste

The critical role played by supermarkets in helping consumers to reduce the environmental impact of their weekly shopping came under the spotlight today when the UK’s top 13 grocery retailers met with Ben Bradshaw, Minister of State for Local Environment Quality, and Jennie Price, Chief Executive of WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme).

Reporting on progress to date against WRAP’s Courtauld Commitment, which aims to reduce the amount of packaging and food waste that ends up in everyone’s bins, the retailers outlined a range of actions they have taken over the past year, including minimised packaging that is already on-shelf, innovations that keep food fresher for longer and so cut the amount that is thrown away, and longer term targets that embed household waste reduction in the retailers’ corporate strategies. They also set out their plans for future action.

Ben Bradshaw said:
“Unnecessary and excessive packaging and waste contributes to dangerous climate change. It also adds to the cost to local authorities and the public of managing waste.

“I am impressed by the commitment that has been shown over the past year by retailers, but the action has to go further and has to be more visible to consumers. Until the supermarkets demonstrate clearly that they are willing to lead by example we cannot expect consumers to get fully engaged with reducing their own waste.”

At the meeting, Jennie Price announced that three major brands – Heinz, Northern Foods and Unilever – have now signed up to the Courtauld Commitment and emphasised the level of engagement that will be needed to deliver real change in the future.

“Consumers are making a significant contribution to tackling the nation’s waste by embracing recycling and we are now looking to the retailers to step up and play their part by helping to design out waste before it happens.

“We need to reverse the trends that have led to our ‘throw away’ habits. The retail sector has an enormous capacity to influence and innovate in this area, and the real impact will come when the commitment to reducing packaging and food waste becomes ‘business as usual’. This is what we expect to see moving forward and the willingness of leading brands to come on board is extremely welcome as it increases the momentum and draws in the wider supply chain.”

The retailers suggested follow up action on three issues: * food waste; * biopolymers and compostable packaging; and * consistent on-pack recycling information for consumers; which Ben Bradshaw and Jennie Price have now agreed to take forward in a series of round table discussions with retailers and other relevant stakeholders.

Progress one year on
Leading the way at this strategic level, Asda and Sainsbury’s have set packaging reduction targets of 10% by 2008 and 5% by 2010 respectively, and Waitrose have put in place targets to keep future packaging levels below those of 2002, and have cut packaging waste growth by 15% in the last year.

On a trip to the supermarket today, the type of innovations already on the shelf include:

• 30% lighter ready meal packaging from Marks & Spencer
• lighter salad bags at Asda, delivering a 14% material saving
• reduced packaging around Iceland’s own brand pizzas
• the cartons removed from Co-op’s tomato puree
• 18% less packaging for Boots Botanics shower gel
• spirits bottled for Tesco’s in lighter weight bottles
  

Morrison’s and the Musgrave Group (Budgens and Londis), meanwhile, are in the process of revising their packaging guidelines to incorporate the need for packaging reduction and Somerfield are redesigning their ready meal packaging to extend shelf life and cut food waste.