Tuesday 16 January 2018

Iceland puts the freeze on plastic packaging

Iceland puts the freeze on plastic packaging

 
Iceland has committed to eliminating plastic packaging from all of its own brand products by the end of 2023.

The frozen food retailer says it will create a range of paper and pulp packaging and trays, along with fully recyclable paper bags to help start the phase-out of the polluting material.

British supermarkets currently generate in excess of one million tonnes of plastic each year.

Around 80% of the public say they would endorse a supermarket’s move to go plastic-free and 91% say they would be more likely to encourage friends and family to shop at a store that did this.

Nearly 68% think other supermarkets should follow Iceland's lead - the global retailer has already removed plastic disposable straws from its own label range.

Iceland's Managing Director, Richard Walker, said: "The world has woken up to the scourge of plastics. A truckload is entering our oceans every minute, causing untold damage to our marine environment and ultimately humanity – since we all depend on the oceans for our survival.

“There really is no excuse any more for excessive packaging that creates needless waste and damages our environment. The technologies and practicalities to create less environmentally harmful alternatives exist and so Iceland is putting a stake in the ground.

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

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