The UK produces around one millions tonnes of plastic packaging a year – an amount that the UK’s recycling system can’t keep up with. The government and corporations taking action and reducing the amount of plastic produced and used is not the only solution to the problem.
The food industry is one of the ones using most of the plastic packaging so supermarkets making a commitment to doing away with it would be an enormous advancement.
British supermarket Iceland has already made the commitment. They have pledged to ditch using all plastic packaging for their own-brand products, opting instead for paper and pulp trays which are easier to recycle.
It would be difficult to try and get all brands to go plastic-free but supermarkets, just by making a commitment to make their own-brands plastic-free, could make a real difference.
Most of the plastic packaging used in supermarkets will just be used the once and then thrown away. The waste generated then pollutes our oceans and puts the lives of many of their population in danger.
All plastic packaging could be replaced by more environmentally friendly materials and some of the products using the packaging don’t even need it. It is time for supermarkets to take action and help reduce the damage made to the environment.
You can sign Greenpeace’s petition to get supermarkets to get rid of plastic packaging on their own-brand products here.
 > Naomi Round
