To tackle plastic waste or cut plastic packaging over the next seven years UK supermarkets and food companies launched a new voluntary pledge on Thursday.
More than 40 companies have signed up to a pact to cut plastic pollution as ministers forcing them to pay more towards collecting and recycling the waste they produce. The signatories are responsible for more than 80% of plastic packaging on products sold through UK supermarkets.
The set of pledges to tackle plastic pollution over the next seven years include:
- Eliminate difficult or unnecessary single use plastic packaging through better design.
- Make 100% of plastic packaging reusable or recyclable or compostabl.
- Make sure 70% of plastic packaging is recycled or composted.
- 30% of all plastic packaging to include recycled material.
The government plans to ban the sale of plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds, is consulting on how the tax system can be used to change consumers’ behavior and has pledged to invest to develop new, greener, products and processes.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose are among the 42 businesses so far supporting the new pledge. The firms Coca-Cola and Asda, have joined to form the UK Plastics Pact.
Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble and Marks & Spencer, have signed up to is to make 100% of plastic packaging ready for recycling or composting by 2025.
Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged to eradicate avoidable plastic waste by 2042 as part of a “national plan of action”.
The environment secretary, Michael Gove, said: “Our ambition to eliminate avoidable plastic waste will only be realised if government, businesses and the public work together”..
Sainsbury’s CEO, Mike Coupe, added: “We all have a role to play in reducing the amount of plastics used in society. For our part we accept our responsibilities and are working hard to reduce the use of plastic across our business.”
Julian Kirby, plastics campaigner for Friends of the Earth, welcomed the new pact as a move in the right direction. But he said: “It must be accompanied by government measures to ensure that everyone plays their part and these targets are actually met.”
>Juthy Saha
