Tesco has announced the second phase of its 'Remove, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle' plan aimed at tackling excess packaging in private-label as well as branded products.
As part of the plan, the retailer has listed four measures that will govern packaging design across all product categories.
Tesco chief executive, Dave Lewis, commented, "From next year, we will assess packaging as part of our ranging decisions, and if it’s excessive or inappropriate, we reserve the right not to list it."
The Plan
The measures include complete removal of non-recyclable and hard to recycle materials. The retailer said that it will focus on minimising the use of these materials in cases where complete removal is not feasible.
Tesco will explore new opportunities to reuse packaging materials.
Lastly, it will ensure that all packaging materials are recycled as part of a 'closed-loop' system.
First Phase
The retailer said that it is already working to remove more than 4,000 tonnes of hard-to-recycle packaging materials from 8,000 lines by the end of 2019.
Lewis continued, "In the first quarter of 2018, we audited all packaging materials in our business and set ourselves a challenge to remove all hard to recycle material by 2019. We’re on track for Tesco own brand and we’re working with branded suppliers to deliver the same."
Role Of The Government
The retailer also emphasised on the importance of introducing a national collection and recycling infrastructure to deliver a closed-loop system for packaging.
"In January 2018, we called on the Government to introduce this infrastructure and offered to help, including giving space in our car parks for recycling and testing the collection of materials not currently recycled by local councils. That invitation stands and the need for action has never been more pressing," Lewis added.
© 2019 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.
