Dutch supermarkets have agreed to reduce plastic packaging in their shelves by 20% by 2025, reports www.distrifood.nl.
Supermarkets in the Netherlands will also switch to 95% recyclable packaging by the same date.
The plastic used in packaging materials will consist of 50% recycled material, and paper and cardboard need to be 100% certified, the report said.
The strategy was communicated through the Centraal Bureau Levensmiddelenhandel, or CBL (Central Bureau for Food Trade), a body that represents the interests of Dutch supermarkets and food service companies.
Packaging Alternatives
Sustainability manager at CBL, Marieke Doolaard, said that all packaging cannot be replaced, as fragile products need to be well packaged. However, she added that steps need to be taken at the earliest to introduce alternatives and reduce plastic packaging.
Director of Milieu Centraal, Vera Dalm, said that the resolution was not "ambitious enough", as Albert Heijn and Plus had already set a 25% plastic-reduction target by the end of 2018.
The organisation also pointed out that the CBL's targets for reducing plastic in packaging materials only applies to private label products, and manufacturers of A-brands are beyond its purview.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
