Spanish retailer Mercadona has marked one year since the launch of its Strategy 6.25 initiative, which which it is seeking to reduce the plastic in its packaging by 25% by 2025.
Under the six-point plan, Mercadona is also aiming to make all plastic in its products recyclable, and to recycle all the plastic waste it generates.
Initial First Steps
Since launching the initiative last year, it has already eliminated the use of single-use plastic bags across all aspects of its operation, which it has replaced with compostable bags (saving 3,200 tonnes of plastic per year), while also removing disposable single-use plastic products.
Over the coming years, the company intends to make sure all packaging it uses will be recyclable and it will continue to reduce plastic in its own-brand packaging in collaboration with its suppliers.
In addition, the company plans to be more transparent about its plastic reduction measures, and provide information to its customers on easy-to-implement recycling measures that they can introduce at home.
Alternative Materials
Mercadona, which was recently awarded its first 'Lean & Green Star', is also exploring the use of alternative materials to plastic, as well as incorporating recycled materials into its packaging, as opposed to virgin plastics.
Among the products that have already seen their packaging reformulated are Mercadona's coffee capsules, which have seen a reduction of 783 tonnes of plastic per year, and its Hacendado chocolate tablets, which have seen a reduction of 186 tonnes of plastic per year.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
