Supermarkets Face Call to Cut Packaging
Date: 24-Oct-07
Country: UK
Author: Peter Griffiths
Research for the Local Government Association (LGA) found 40 percent of the packaging in the average shopping basket has to be buried because it is not recyclable.
Five percent of the total weight of the basket was made up of packaging, according to the research conducted at six of the biggest supermarkets, a market and local stores.
The supermarket with the heaviest packaging was Lidl. Marks & Spencer had the lowest level of recyclable packaging, at 60 percent, compared to the top performer Asda (70 percent).
"People are working hard to increase their recycling rates, but their efforts are being hamstrung by needlessly over-packaged products on sale in supermarkets," the LGA's Paul Bettison said. "We have to question the necessity and desirability of shrink-wrapping vegetables like peppers and broccoli."
Some shops have already begun to reduce packaging and have made it easier for customers to recycle by switching from plastic to paper bags, he added.
However, more must be done if councils are to avoid fines totalling 3 billion pounds for failing to meet landfill targets.
The government wants to reduce the amount of rubbish in landfill sites to cut greenhouse gases.
The British Retail Consortium, which represents 80 to 90 percent of retailers, said local councils should simplify their guidelines to encourage households to recycle more.
"The most useful thing that local authorities could do to improve recycling rates is to adopt a consistent approach to the kind of materials that they are prepared to accept for recycling," a spokesman said.
"It's a bit rich of them to be criticising retailers, who are actually doing an enormous amount to reduce packaging and to make sure that the packaging they do use is recyclable."
Mike Barry, head of corporate social responsibility for Marks & Spencer, said the company had set targets to reduce packaging and use materials that can be recycled or composted.
"While we've made good progress over the last 12 months, we know there's still much more yet to do in both areas," he said.
No one at Lidl could immediately be reached for comment.
