The extent to which top UK supermarkets have already reduced “overpackaging” was in the spotlight this week when 13 grocery retailers met with Minister of State for Local Environment Quality Ben Bradshaw and ceo of WRAP (the Waste & Environment Resources Action Programme) for an update on progress to date against WRAP's Courtauld Commitment.
The high-profile Commitment was entered into in July 2005, when Asda, Boots, Budgens, The Co-operative Group, Londis, Iceland, Kwik Save, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Tesco and Waitrose all signed up to an agreement to support WRAP in its objectives of designing out packaging waste growth by 2008; delivering “absolute reductions” in packaging waste by March 2010 and identifying ways to “tackle the problem” of food waste.
At this week's meeting retailer representatives outlined actions taken over the past year, including minimising packaging already on shelf, developing innovations that keep food fresher for longer, and longer-term targets that embed household waste reduction in their companies' corporate strategies.
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.”
While impressed by the “commitment” shown over the past year by the retailers, the Minister said their action needed to “go further and be more visible to consumers”. “Until the supermarkets demonstrate clearly they are willing to lead by example we cannot expect consumers to get fully engaged with reducing their own waste,” he said. Bradshaw reportedly also told the audience consumers should consider reporting supermarkets using “excessive packaging” to local trading standards departments. According to a Daily Telegraph report, he suggested that, alternatively, they might leave overpackaged goods at the checkout for supermarkets to deal with.
At the meeting WRAP's Price announced that three major brands - Heinz, Northern Foods and Unilever - have now signed up to the Courtauld Commitment. She also 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,” she said. “We need to reverse trends that have led to our throwaway 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'”.
The retailers suggested follow-up action on three issues: food waste, biopolymers and compostable packaging, and “consistent on-pack recycling information for consumers”. Bradshaw and Price agreed to take these initiatives forward.
WRAP says Asda and Sainsbury's are “already leading the way at this strategic level”; they have set packaging waste reduction targets of 10% by 2008 and 5% by 2010 respectively, while Waitrose has set targets to keep its future packaging levels below those of 2002.
On a trip to the supermarket today, WRAP says visitors would see:
o 30% lighter ready meal packaging from Marks & Spencer;
o lighter salad bags, delivering a 14% material saving, at Asda;
o reduced packaging around Iceland's own brand pizzas;
o cartons removed from Co-op's tomato puree;
o 18% less packaging for Boots Botanics shower gel, and
o spirits bottled for Tesco in lighter weight bottles.
Meanwhile Morrison's and the Musgrave Group (Budgens and Londis) are currently re-designing their packaging guidelines to incorporate the need for packaging reduction and Somerfield its ready meal packaging to extend shelf life and reduce waste.
