Tesco to remove a billion pieces of plastic
Written by News on 01/11/2019
Tesco has vowed to remove a billion pieces of plastic packaging from products in its UK stores by the end of next year.
Paper bags will replace plastic bags to pack loose fruit, vegetables and bakery products.
Plastic trays will be removed from ready meals; secondary lids on products such as yoghurts and cream will be taken away; plastic cutlery, straws on drinking cartons and 200 million wrappers on clothing and greeting cards will also be removed.
In August, Tesco told 1,500 suppliers that packaging will be part of its criteria in selecting products to stock.
It also warned them that it could refuse to stock items that use excessive or hard-to-recycle materials.
Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, says it is trying to reduce its environmental impact and meet growing consumer demand for less waste.
Chief executive Dave Lewis said: “By focusing on solutions that we can apply across all our UK stores and supply chain, we can make a significant difference and achieve real scale in our efforts to tackle plastic.”
WWF UK’s sustainable materials specialist Paula Chin said: “Businesses, governments and households have all got an important part to play, so it’s good to see Tesco’s commitment to significantly reduce the amount of plastic we use.”
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Louise Edge, head of Greenpeace UK’s ocean plastics campaign, said: “Last year Tesco produced more than 18 billion pieces of plastic, so they’ve still got plenty of work to do, but this is a good start and we hope to see further reductions when it introduces its reusable packaging scheme for online orders in the New Year.”
Tesco has 3,787 stores in Britain and Ireland, employing 340,000 people.
The announcement marks the latest move by Britain’s supermarket giants to tackle the growing problem of packaging waste, which can end up in the world’s oceans.
More than eight million tonnes of plastic is thrown away each year and washed out to sea.
During the centuries it takes to break down, it can be eaten by marine animals and it can also enter the food chain with mostly unknown effects on our health.
In September, Sainsbury’s promised to halve the amount of plastic used in its stores by 2025.
Sky’s Ocean Rescue campaign encourages people to reduce their single-use plastics. You can find out more about the campaign and how to get involved at www.skyoceanrescue.com
(c) Sky News 2019: Tesco to remove a billion pieces of plastic
