UK premium retail chain Waitrose has announced a target to halve its packaging volumes by 2016, compared to the company’s 2005 levels.
The John Lewis Group retailer has also announced three major changes to its product ranges that it says will help to achieve this target, saving “nearly 100 tonnes of packaging each year” combined.
The company has relaunched its 49-strong Menu from Waitrose range of prepared meals. According to the company, a reduction of 33 tonnes of packaging a year will be achieved by the width of the sleeves on the outside of the products being decreased – “equivalent to a 20% overall weight saving”.
Waitrose has also introduced aluminium trays, lacquered both internally and externally, for ready meals, achieving a more attractive, earthenware appearance – a first for a UK retailer, the company says.
“This means that customers can cook and serve the meals in the same tray and are still able to recycle it after use.”
The Waitrose Good to Go range of 190 snacks and sandwiches has also been re-launched, with packaging reductions said to total 25 tonnes a year.
“Changes include increasing the size of the clear window on sandwiches to allow better visibility of the product, cutting 11 tonnes of packaging per year,” the company says.
New pre-printed bags for fruit portions are also said to save 60% of weight by taking off the label.
And, having introduced flow-wrap for mince and diced meat in 2010, the company has gradually rolled out the new packaging format for all its meat including lamb and pork.
“By removing the plastic tray in the packs of pork and lamb, Waitrose will be cutting back on 38 tonnes of packaging per year – a 70% saving,” the company claims.
Waitrose packaging and reprographics manager Karen Graley says: “Relaunching a range is a fantastic opportunity to reduce the waste reaching our customers’ bins and ensure they can recycle as much as possible, and cutting packaging by nearly 100 tonnes per year is a great result to have achieved on our journey to halving packaging by 2016.”
The Waitrose pledge to halve its packaging by 2016 is one of 12 CSR pledges in the company’s new Waitrose Way Commitments, which span the four ‘Waitrose Way’ CSR pillars: Treading Lightly, Championing British, Treating People Fairly and Living Well.
