Kaufland Romania has announced it will reduce plastic consumption by at least 20% across all its operations by 2025.
The measure is part of the retailer’s 360 degree plastic strategy that will be implemented internationally. The company aims to reduce plastic packaging by improving recyclability and supporting the adoption of green packaging.
As well as reducing plastic consumption by 20% in all countries, the retailer will also ensure that all own-brand plastic packaging will be 100% recyclable by 2025.
Plastic Alternatives & Green Initiatives
In addition, Kaufland Romania will delist certain plastic articles by the end of 2019, such as plastic cotton buds, plastic straws and disposable plastic dishes, replacing them with green alternatives.
The company eliminated microplastics in cosmetic and body care products, as well as detergents and cleaning products, in 2013.
In addition to the collection points for used batteries or electrical appliances, Kaufland recently introduced self-service recycling machines for three types of packaging: PET (up to three litres), as well as glass and aluminium (up to one litre). The machine rewards customers who recycle packaging with a discount coupon that can be used in-store.
Importance Of Awareness
Kaufland Romania said that it believes that the retail industry has a key role to play in remedying this issue, and that community awareness represents an important step in the success of the plastic reduction approach.
It aims to further inform customers about plastic alternatives, recycling, and waste management in order to encourage them to adopt more environmentally friendly consumption habits.
Kaufland also takes part in joint working groups and experience-sharing sessions with manufacturers in order to identify new ways of ensuring a greater share of recyclable components in packaging and invest in the development of innovative packaging.
Other European retailers that have implemented initiatives to reduce plastic are Lidl, whose Swiss and Belgian arms have pledged to reduce their use of plastic by 20% by the year 2025, and Morrisons, who said in April that all of its own brand plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
