Only 6.2% of food products sold in the large-scale retail trade channel in Italy come in fully recyclable packaging, a new study has revealed.
The study, carried out by the Osservatorio Immagino of GS1 Italy, also showed that 25.4% of food products provide the necessary information on how to correctly dispose of the packaging, while 74.6% of products do not give this information.
Products offering the highest amount of information on the recyclability of packaging on labels are fruit and vegetables (43.7%), cold products (41.5%), grocery (31.8%), fresh produce (26.5%), and home care (24.3%).
On the other hand, meat (14.6%), beverages (14.6%), pet care (13.1%) and personal care products (11.5%) share the least amount of information about possible recycling.
The study has also predicted that by 2025, the percentage of fully recyclable packaging for food products should rise to 43% in the country.
Individual Products
Among single-use products within the individual categories, mineral water emerged on top, with 100% totally or widely recyclable packaging, the study found.
Home care products claimed second spot, with 90% of totally or widely recyclable packaging, followed by food and grocery items at 80%.
Products with the lowest degree of recyclability of packaging include meal preparations and ready meals (41.2%) and fresh condiments (25.3%), among others.
According to the Food Packaging Forum, the global eco-friendly packaging market will grow from $174.7 billion to $249.5 billion by 2025 (+42.8%), with a CAGR of 7.4%.
© 2020 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.
