Denmark’s Rema 1000 has introduced its own-brand dishwasher cleaner in a new dark green packaging made from recycled fishing nets.
The retailer has teamed up with the Danish company Plastix for the technology required for the packaging material.
Plastix collects and recycles plastics from the fishing industry, which would otherwise end up in the landfill.
Commenting on the collaboration, director of procurement and marketing at Rema 1000, Anders René Jensen, said, “Plastic waste is one of the biggest challenges in creating a sustainable food sector, and we are therefore very proud that the collaboration with Plastix now leads to the first packaging of its kind.”
Fishing nets are made of plastic fibre, which is the most difficult type of plastic to recycle, Rema 1000 said in its statement.
The recycling technology developed by Plastix transforms this plastic into reusable packaging material.
'A Huge Breakthrough'
Plastix CEO Hans Axel Kristensen, described it as “a huge breakthrough” as the company spent seven years in developing the technology which offers a packaging material that is “new and different”.
Kristensen continued, “Recycled plastic products are not just limited to beautiful design products. It becomes very meaningful to collect and recycle plastic when we use it in the products we encounter every day.
“This is the way forward for both our globe and for the Danish economy, which is why we are excited about the collaboration with Rema 1000.”
The shade of green in the new packaging material derived will vary from production to production, challenging the culture of identical packaging in retail.
'Imperfect And Sustainable'
CEO of Plastic Change, Louise Lerche-Gredal, said, “As consumers, we have to get used to the fact that packaging is not always brand new and completely identical.
“Just as we are used to with the old fashioned beer bottle in glass. This kind of 'imperfect' and sustainable products is a trend we will see more of in the near future."
The new technology has been recognised by Plastic Change, a leading environmental organisation in Denmark.
By 2023, Rema 1000 aims to make the packaging of all its store-brand products recyclable, the company added.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
