Tesco pledges 55 million plastic pieces cut in fiber transition for tissue multi-packs

04 Jan 2024 --- Tesco is scrapping plastic packaging for its own brand pocket tissue multi-packs and replacing it with recyclable paper, saving more than 55 million pieces of soft plastic annually, according to the supermarket. 

Compared to boxes of tissues, the pocket version tends to be used on-the-go, meaning the plastic packaging has a higher chance of ending up in the environment. 

Since mid-December, the individual packs and the wrap around the multi-packs of Tesco’s Gentle White and Balm tissues began transitioning to FSC-certified paper packs. 

The UK retailer is “the first” supermarket to make the change to its brand pocket tissues that will save almost 35 metric tons of new soft plastic being created each year. 

Tesco campaigns manager Courtney Pallett says: “Unlike boxes of tissues, the pocket version tends to be used on the go and can all too easily become litter. The new paper packaging works just as well as the old plastic wrap but is more sustainable.

Tesco’s sustainability moves 
Tesco says it has so far removed approximately 2.2 billion pieces of plastic since 2019.

Last year, the retailer ditched colored milk caps on the roughly 245 million milk bottles it sells annually. The removal of colors, traditionally used to delineate fat levels, made the caps easier to recycle and helped the supermarket improve its environmental sustainability record.

Meanwhile, Unilever brand Pot Noodle trialed paper pots for its instant noodle soups with Tesco. The new pots can reportedly be recycled at home with other paper waste and include on-pack recycling labels to guide shoppers on correct disposal.

Edited by Natalie Schwertheim