Portuguese supermarket chain Pingo Doce has eliminated plastic straws from all its own-brand products, which will allow the company to remove 15 tonnes of plastic per year from its operations.
In a statement, the banner owned by Jerónimo Martins Group, said that the changes concern all private- label packages of milk, vegetable drinks, juices and iced teas, comprising 13 SKUs, will now offer paper straws.
As a result of the change, there will be 34 million fewer plastic straws in circulation, the retailer added.
Private-Label Products
In March 2020, Pingo Doce replaced plastic straws for paper straws in its own-brand milk packages, as part of a project by Terra Alegre, the group's dairy unit.
At the end of 2020, the same change was implemented in the packaging of juice and iced tea SKUs and now the vegetable drink packages have removed the plastic straws. As a result, there are no more Pingo Doce branded packages with plastic straws in circulation.
Plastic Footprint
Jerónimo Martins Group is working closely with its suppliers to reduce the plastic footprint and contribute to the preservation of the marine environment.
For example, micro-plastics have been eliminated from all private-label personal care products, cosmetics and detergents; plastic sticks have been substitute for paper sticks in cotton swabs; while a new packaging has been launched for 'Detergente Concentrado Oceano Ultra Pro', made with 11% marine waste and 89% from post-consumption recycled plastic.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Branislav Pekic. For more Private Label news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
