“One billion pieces of plastic”: Tesco targets UK-wide closed loop packaging surge

04 Nov 2019 --- As a part of its “4Rs” strategy to tackle the use of plastics in its business, UK supermarket giant Tesco has announced its ambition remove one billion pieces of plastic from products for sale in stores nationwide by the end of 2020. The retailer will explore new opportunities to reuse its packaging and ensure that anything left is all recycled as part of a closed loop. “If packaging can’t be recycled, it will have no place at Tesco,” states the multinational grocery chain.

“Our work to remove, reduce, reuse and recycle is already transforming our packaging. Over the next twelve months, we will remove one billion pieces of plastic, further reducing the environmental impact of the products we sell. By focusing on solutions that we can apply across all our UK stores and supply chain, we can make a significant difference and achieve real scale in our efforts to tackle plastic,” says Dave Lewis, CEO of Tesco.

Tesco’s 4Rs strategy – Remove, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – outlines the company’s overarching goal to to remove non-recyclable and excess packaging from its business. In areas where it can’t be removed, such as in cases where it prevents food waste, Tesco aims to work with its suppliers to reduce it to an absolute minimum.

To remove one billion pieces from Tesco own brand products by the end of 2020, Tesco will be removing:

• Small plastic bags – commonly used to pack loose fruit, vegetables and bakery items – to be replaced with paper ones.
• Plastic trays from ready meals.
• Secondary lids on products such as cream, yogurts and cereals.
• Sporks and straws from snack pots and drinks cartons.
• 200 million pieces of plastic used to pack clothing and greetings cards.

At four meetings with more than 1,500 suppliers held last August, Tesco set out its vision for the next stage of its packaging agenda. Tesco briefed suppliers that beginning next year, the size and suitability of packaging will be assessed as part of category reviews and ranging decisions. The retailer has informed its suppliers that it reserves the right to no longer stock products that use excessive or hard to recycle materials.

Last year, Tesco completed the “most comprehensive review of packaging” held in its business. In January 2018, the UK chain called on the government to introduce a UK national infrastructure for recycling and offered to help, including giving space in its car parks for recycling and testing the collection of materials not currently recycled by local councils. “That invitation stands and the need for action has never been more pressing,” says the company.

Since announcing its ambition in 2018 to remove hard-to-recycle materials, Tesco notes that it will have eliminated the hardest to recycle materials from own brand products by the end of 2019, by removing over 4,000 metric tons of materials from 800 lines. The grocer has since stopped offering carrier bags with online deliveries – a decision pegged by the grocery chain as one that will stop 250 million bags being produced every year. 

“Plastic pollution is the most visible symptom of the environmental crisis we’re currently facing. Businesses, governments and households have all got an important part to play, so it’s good to see Tesco’s commitment to significantly reduce the amount of plastic we use,” says Paula Chin, Sustainable Materials Specialist of WWF UK.

 Tesco has stopped offering carrier bags with online deliveries.UK supermarkets prioritize plastic reduction
Many leading UK retail chains this year are backing the plastic reduction trend, contributing to a gradual phase out of industry-generated waste. According to investigations by UK charity Which?, roughly 48 percent of packaging used by major UK supermarket chains cannot be easily recycled. In the report, the average percentage of packaging – including cardboard, glass and plastics – that could be easily put in household recycling bins was just 52 percent. 

Furthermore, 42 percent of the total supermarket packaging assessed by Which? was labeled either incorrectly or not at all, making it difficult for consumers to dispose of correctly and increasing the chances of it ending up in a landfill.

Last August, UK grocer Waitrose & Partners announced it is set to extend its packaging-free shopping experience – dubbed “Unpacked” – in Oxford beyond the original end date of 18 August, following an “overwhelmingly positive” response to its bring-your-own packaging trial. The chain has also committed to introducing elements of the concept at three more establishments by the end of the year.

Waitrose & Partners also launched an Italian ready-meal range in new fiber-based trays from Finnish food packaging supplier Huhtamaki. The new trays – called Fresh – are microwave- and oven-safe, and are intended to provide a more sustainable alternative to black plastic. Additionally, the packaging is recyclable and certified for home composting.

Last May, retailer Morrisons announced plans to introduce plastic-free fruit and vegetable zones across many of its UK stores. Customers will be able to choose from up to 127 varieties of fresh produce and buy them loose or put them in recyclable paper bags.

In the home delivery space, Farmdrop, a UK online grocer with a focus on food sourced by local farmers, fisheries and other producers, has launched its new Made By Farmdrop range of pre-prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner meals made with seasonal ingredients. The company highlights that these meals are sourced sustainably and wrapped in 100 percent plastic-free compostable and glass packaging. 

These moves build on the numerous advances made in the UK last year to cut down the levels of plastic waste generated by supermarkets. During last year’s holiday period, for example, the government launched a consultation to increase the 5p plastic bag charge to 10p and to extend the scheme to all retailers in the nation.

By Benjamin Ferrer