UK consumer group highlights plight of unrecyclable plastics in supermarkets

20 Jul 2018 --- An investigation by UK consumer group Which? has found that nearly one-third of plastic packaging used in supermarkets is either non-recyclable or difficult to recycle, prompting the group to call on the Government to make clear and simple recycling labeling compulsory.

Plastic food packaging serves an array of important purposes, but copious amounts of plastic waste has spurred a number of interventions pushing for plastics reduction. Plastic Oceans data notes that we are now producing nearly 300 million tons of plastic a year, half of which is for single-use and more than eight million tons is dumped into the ocean annually. Alternatively, some groups have turned their attention to advocating for the use of plastic packaging as long as it can be recycled and feed into the circular economy. However, these findings from Which? point to an environment where that may be difficult for the everyday consumer.

In the snapshot investigation, Which? analyzed the packaging of 27 everyday own-brand items at 10 major supermarkets. They found that supermarket chain Lidl had the lowest proportion of widely recyclable packaging (71 percent). Iceland followed at 73 percent while Ocado (74 percent) and Sainsbury’s (75 percent) were also close to the bottom.

Which? researchers attributed Lidl’s poor performance in part to the use of hard-to-recycle plastics for some foods, when rivals like top performer Morrisons (81 percent) had found greener alternatives.

For example, Morrisons packaged its chocolate cake in a widely recyclable plastic box, while Lidl’s cake came in mixed packaging comprising a non-recyclable film within a widely recyclable box with a non-recyclable window.

However, some products came packaged in hard to recycle packaging no matter which supermarket it came from, such as oranges packaged in netting with plastic labels. Such “easy peeler nets” are not only non-recyclable, but they can also cause huge problems if they wrongly end up in a recycling sorting plant by running the risk of getting caught in the machinery and causing a breakdown.

The researchers also noted discrepancies between labeling. For instance, M&S and Waitrose apples were labeled as non-recyclable but the type of plastic they were made of is indeed recyclable.

Arguably, the state of labeling and inconsistencies is pervasive in UK supermarkets, strengthing the call from Which? to the government to clarify recycling labels.

“Which? believes a lot more can be done to increase the amount of recyclable packaging and the way it is labeled so that consumers know what can be recycled and how to recycle it,” says Nikki Stopford, Director of Research and Publishing at Which?

“The plastic pollution crisis makes it more crucial than ever that the Government, manufacturers and supermarkets do the best they can to banish plastic that cannot be recycled and promote the use of less damaging packaging.”

UK supermarkets seek to lead the way on plastic reduction
Many UK supermarkets have made, often landmark, announcements around plastic and their plans to reduce the use of the material.

In April this year, the UK Plastics Pact was announced, with plans to eradicate single-use plastic from the supply chain. It was signed by more than 40 major players in the food and non-food industry, including leading UK retailers, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, M&S and Waitrose. The pact pledges the following by 2025: 100 percent of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable; 70 percent of plastic packaging recycled or composted; eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging items; 30 percent average recycled content across all plastic packaging.

Iceland did not sign up to the pact but it did pledge to eliminate plastic packaging from its own-label range by 2023 and will replace all black plastic ready-meal trays with paper-based or aluminum alternatives by the end of 2018. It also was the first supermarket to embrace the UK Government's Deposit Return Scheme.

Previously Morrisons and Waitrose announced that customers who bring in their own containers to purchase meat would be incentivized with loyalty points. Vending machines which allow customers to deposit plastic bottles in exchange for points or coupons that shoppers can use in-store are being trialed by Iceland and Morrisons.

Asda has pledged to replace the polystyrene boards in fresh pizzas boxes with cardboard. M&S have promised to replace plastic cutlery with wood and Waitrose has vowed to stop the use of black plastic packaging for all own-label goods by the end of 2019 and stop the use of black plastic packaging for own-label meat, fish, fruit and veg by the end of this year.

Clearly, UK supermarkets are engaging heavily with the issue of plastic, but clarity is needed across the board to drive up the rates of recycling.

By Laxmi Haigh