ENVIRONMENT NEWS: Packaging on the wane
The grocery sector has ended packaging growth in the UK despite a sharp increase in sales.
Coca-Cola, Cadbury, Britvic, Mars and Kellogg’s are significant brands working towards cutting food waste and packaging waste.
The success is the result of the Courtauld Commitment – a voluntary agreement between WRAP, Defra, the Scottish and Welsh governments and the UK grocery sector.
The target to end packaging waste growth was achieved by the grocery sector despite anticipated challenges including 1.8% growth in the grocery sector and population growth of 0.5% per annum.
The Courtauld Commitment is due to run until 2010 which features increasing the obligation of more grocery brands and manufacturers, demonstrating visible changes of packaging to consumers and delivery change throughout the supply chain.
Also, the Love Food Hate Waste Campaign is working to achieve 155,000 tonne reduction on household food waste.
Jan Ruddock, environment minister, said,“We waste one third of our household food and its packaging is the most visual, intrusive and irritating part of household rubbish. WRAP, retailers and brands have made progress together and are coming up with increasingly innovative solutions, but we need to keep moving forward.
“The government welcomes plans to explore a move away from weight to CO2 as a better measurement of the environmental cost of packaging.
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has reduced the weight of its iconic 330ml glass contour bottle by a fifth, This initiative will save more than 3,500 tonnes of glass and an estimated 2,200 tonnes of CO2 per year.
All new 330ml glass bottles of Coke have been reduced from 263g to 210g using new specifications known as Ultra design. The retains the bottles’ trademark dimensions and maintains quality and strength while significantly improving environmental performance. The 500ml PET bottles have also been reduced which cuts the amount of plastic used to 700 tonnes per year.
