UK frozen food retailer Iceland has committed to the target of eliminating plastic packaging from all its own-brand products by 2023, it was announced on 16 January.
Iceland says the pledge will be an important step towards cutting down on the 1 million tonnes of plastic generated by UK supermarkets every year. In its place, the firm says it will be harnessing the latest technologies to create a range of packaging comprising paper and pulp trays along with paper bags which are fully recyclable through domestic waste collection or in-store recycling facilities.
A press release from the retailer references a December 2017 OnePoll survey of 5,000 UK adults in which 80% said they would endorse a supermarket’s move to go plastic-free. The poll also indicated that as a result of a supermarket’s plastic-free stance, 91% would be more likely to encourage friends and family to shop there.
Iceland managing director Richard Walker commented: “The world has woken up to the scourge of plastics. A truckload is entering our oceans every minute, causing untold damage to our marine environment and ultimately humanity – since we all depend on the oceans for survival.”
“The onus is on retailers, as leading contributors to plastic packaging pollution and waste, to take a stand and deliver meaningful change. Other supermarkets, and the retail industry as a whole, should follow suit and offer similar commitments during 2018. This is a time for collaboration.”
“There really is no excuse any more for excessive packaging that creates needless waste and damages our environment. The technologies and practicalities to create less environmentally harmful alternatives exist, and so Iceland is putting a stake in the ground.”
“In tandem, we will also ensure that all our packaging is fully recyclable and that it is actually recycled, through our support for initatives such as a bottle Deposit Return Scheme.
“We are working closely with our supportive own label suppliers to ensure this pledge becomes a reality, and we’ll be providing regular updates to customers on our progress in the months to come.”
Iceland said it has consulted regularly with Greenpeace experts on this new approach.
John Sauven, Greenpeace Executive Director, commented: “Last month a long list of former heads of Britain’s biggest retail groups wrote a joint statement to explain that the only solution to plastic pollution was for retailers to reject plastic entirely in favour of more sustainable alternatives like recycled paper, steel, glass and aluminium. Now Iceland has taken up that challenge with its bold pledge to go plastic free within five years. It’s now up to other retailers and food producers to respond to that challenge. The tidal wave of plastic pollution will only start to recede when they turn off the tap. They know the scale of systemic change we need, and yet their responses have been timid and piecemeal. Iceland has offered a more radical solution that shows the way forward for the sector.”
