Tesco and Berry Global team up on recycled bin liners from in-store collections
08 Feb 2022 --- Tesco and packaging manufacturer Berry Global are teaming up to recycle soft plastic collected from customers at the UK supermarket’s stores into 20% recycled bin liners.
The British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer has rapidly scaled up its soft plastic collection points, now collecting plastic from customers for recycling in over 900 stores.
It claims to have collected over 850 metric tons of soft plastic to date and is working with partners on several recycling solutions. Between 25 to 30 metric tons per month, including bread bags, fruit, vegetable and salad packaging, is currently being sent to Berry Global’s state-of-the-art recycling facility in Heanor, Derbyshire, UK.
At this facility, the manufacturer washes, scrubs and dries the material, removing any unwanted items. The resulting material is then turned into pellets, ready for manufacturing into bin liners.
Traceability and strength
Tesco and Berry Global indicate that they have worked together to ensure full traceability of the collected soft plastics through the supply chain.
Tesco now collects consumer soft plastic from recycling points in over 900 stores.Meanwhile, the recycled plastic pellet is blended with recovered agricultural films, such as baling wrap, providing the liners with suitable strength. Combining the two recycled material sources gives the refuse sacks the required strength and durability, with high resistance to tearing.
“After doing everything possible to remove and reduce plastic from our stores, we want to ensure that materials are recycled into new products and packaging. Our soft plastic collection points help to plug the gap in the country’s recycling infrastructure, and when combined with initiatives like this, we meet our customers’ ask that materials do not go to waste,” comments William Guest, sustainability packaging manager at Tesco.
“Our collaboration with Tesco demonstrates how traditionally hard-to-recycle plastics can now be sustainably converted and remanufactured into new products in the UK,” adds Mike Baxter, external affairs director at Berry bpi. “This Tesco initiative helps to keep valuable used plastic film out of the waste stream.”
Tesco 20 Extra Strong Refuse Sacks 75 L made from 20% recycled soft plastic are available in-store now for £3 (US$4.06) per pack.
Tesco claims to have collected over 850 metric tons of soft plastic to date.
Tesco ups circularity game
In related news, Tesco and Faerch have partnered on a closed-loop recycling solution for the secondary plastic packaging used to transport and hold products on Tesco shelves. The “industry-first” solution will annually recycle an estimated 2000 metric tons of plastic into food-grade packaging.
Meanwhile, packaging supplier Coveris has equipped the supermarket with a range of lightweight, fully recyclable pouches for grated cheese and a recyclable pouch for ready-to-eat chicken.
Last year, Tesco launched a reusable packaging initiative in partnership with TerraCycle’s Loop program, which debuted in ten of its UK stores. Featuring a range of 88 reusable F&B, household and beauty products, the retailer touted the move as an important step toward making the concept of reusable packaging mainstream.
By Joshua Poole
