Tesco has raised the ante in its drive against single-use plastic, saying it could drop brands from its shelves that use non-recyclable and unnecessary packaging.
Writing for The Guardian, Dave Lewis, Tesco’s Chief Executive, said the group would “reserve the right not to list” products that use excessive and inappropriate packaging. The initiative is likely to kick in from 2020 onwards, with the retailer looking at each category and giving suppliers sufficient time to make changes.
Lewis noted: “We can’t overlook the fact that for too long, packaging on consumer goods has been excessive. We have all looked at the settled contents of a cereal packet and puzzled over the comparative size of the bag and box. Or opened a bag of crisps and wondered why the packaging is twice the size of the contents.”
Tesco has previously provided its suppliers with a list of preferred materials in May 2018, and the new plan comes in the wake of growing public distancing from plastic packaging.
Lewis also called on the UK government to put in place a national approach to recycling, which he said would help standardise processes and reduce the amount of waste going to landfills. He noted: “Today, recycling rates vary across local authorities from 65% to 14%. Without a national infrastructure, industry efforts to improve the recyclability of materials used in packaging will not have the impact we need.”
Click here for the full article by Lewis
NAM Implications:
- A Tesco move against single-use plastic…
- …but also against shrinkflation.
- A pointer/warning for all?
