More lightweighting needed to cut packaging waste, says UK watch dog

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Richard Swannell, director for retail, resource minimisation & design told FoodProductionDaily.com: “Signatories​ (to the Courtauld Commitment) are continuing to innovate through not only further lightweighting but also novel methods of retailing. One example is the self-dispensing of fabric conditioner currently on trial in Asda stores​.”

Voluntary agreement​

The Courtauld Commitment is a voluntary agreement aimed at improving resource efficiency and reducing the carbon and wider environmental impact of the grocery retail sector

Announcing the results of the first phase of the Courtauld Commitment, WRAP acknowledged that the target of reducing the total amount of packaging waste between 2005 and 2009 had not been achieved. Total packaging has remained consistently at about 2.9m tonnes between 2006 and 2009.

“This packaging target was created with an underlying assumption of zero growth in volume sales​,” said Swannell. “The reality, however, was that signatories’ volume sales through the grocery retail sector increased by 6.4% over that period.” ​

Also signatories have increased their market share of the beer and wine market, bringing more heavy packaging into the grocery figures.

But if signatories had not cut packaging, this increase would have led directly to an additional 340,000t of packaging waste being created over the period of the agreement, said Swannell.

Meanwhile, the other two targets set out in the Courtauld Agreement – to design out packaging waste growth and to reduce food waste by 155,000t per year - have been achieved.

As a result, the UK grocery sector has prevented 1.2m tonnes of food and packaging waste from entering the household waste system over the past five years.

Partnership​

Swannell told FoodProductionDaily.com: “The results of the first phase of the Courtauld Commitment – a responsibility deal between the UK grocery sector and WRAP and delivered in partnership with local authorities - show that a total of 670,000 tonnes of food waste and 520,000 tonnes of packaging have been avoided across the UK between 2005 and 2009​.”

He estimated the value of this avoided food and packaging waste at £1.8bn with a CO2 equivalent emissions avoided amount of about 3.3m tonnes.

Liz Goodwin, WRAP CEO at WRAP highlighted the challenge ahead: “The next phase of the Courtauld Commitment looks more at the food and packaging waste from manufacture to how they’re used in households​,” she said. “It’s not enough to just focus on packaging and weight – the wider carbon impact also counts – and that’s what we will be doing. ​

She added: “39 major retailers, brands and manufacturers are on board with that so the future looks promising. But there’s always more that can be done and we are working closely with the industry to help reduce the environmental impact of things we all buy​.”