Thursday 17 March 2022

Iceland rolls out flexible plastic recycling bins in UK stores

Iceland has rolled out new recycling bins at its stores across the UK for customers to bring back flexible plastic packaging.

The low cost supermarket initially trialled the bins last year in 13 of its Food Warehouse stores – part of the Iceland Foods Group - and has now launched them in more than 140 of its stores in Britain.

The new bins allow customers to recycle flexible plastic film items, including carrier bags, bread bags, produce bags and magazine wraps, which typically cannot be recycled at home.

Flexible plastic packaging is said to represent more than a fifth of all UK consumer plastic packaging but only 6% is currently recycled.

The initiative is part of Iceland's wider commitment to eliminate plastic packaging from its own-label products and reduce plastic waste.

Richard Walker, Managing Director of Iceland said: “Tackling unnecessary plastic production and plastic waste continues to remain the priority for Iceland and The Food Warehouse but we are also keen to offer our customers a convenient solution for recycling the flexible plastics they are not able to at home.

“Following a successful trial period in some of our The Food Warehouse stores, we’re pleased to have fitted these bins across the country following positive feedback and high usage from our customers. The additional bins will ensure that even more flexible plastic is recycled reliably and help contribute to a circular economy.”