There’s been some big news in the supermarket industry at the start of 2020. The Co-Op has announced plans to bring in 100% recyclable packaging by summer this year.
Co-op pledges to produce recyclable packaging for all their brands
The company will produce the packaging themselves, and they intend for all of their branded products to be made out of materials that can easily be recycled. It’s believed that the materials used are a combination of recyclable plastics and various other things. It will vary from product to product.
However, The Co-Op is keen to note that all of these things can be recycled at home. They’re eligible for kerbside collections, or you can take them to your local recycling centre. This is a massive step in the fight against plastic packaging waste in the UK. One of the main issues with a lot of alternative packaging materials is that they’re notoriously difficult to recycle. By being able to put these items in with your other recycling, it means there’s little effort on the side of the consumer.
In addition to this, The Co-Op has also unveiled plans to clamp down on plastic films. As of right now, loads of plastic film waste gets generated via supermarkets. This usually comes from ready-meals and other packaging. Local councils don’t let consumers recycle this, so it ends up getting thrown out. The Co-Op will start their own initiative to start recycling this, giving consumers an easy way to ensure they reduce plastic waste at home.
This news is very big as it shows a huge step towards fighting the plastic battle. If more shops got on-board with this, then we could slash the amount of waste plastic dramatically.
