ASDA and Sainsbury’s top grocers for waste action

Grading eight major UK supermarket chains on various environmental performance, the consumer watchdog gave ASDA and Sainsbury's “B” grades for their efforts to enable and encourage shoppers to recycle and reduce their waste.

Sainsbury's in particular was praised for offering more sustainable paper products for sale, and for its “bag for life” promotion of re-usable carried bags.

ASDA was also praised for its actions, although the report authors noted that there was “still work to do” on declaring recycled content of breakfast cereal packaging.

The two leaders on waste and recycling were out in front ahead of Co-Op, Marks and Spencer and Tesco, all awarded “C” grades in the waste and recycling category.

C0-Op, Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Waitrose were said to be “showing potential”, but with more to do. Co-Op have been offering more recycled toilet paper than in 2006, but was only “meeting the industry standard” on carrier bag action, and was not providing recycling banks for plastic bags. Marks and Spencer was praised for its work on recycled content in paper products, but was also doing “no more than meeting the industry standard” on carried bags.

Tesco was praised for offering incentives for bag re-use, but no action on recycled content of packaging, kitchen paper and toilet roll. Waitrose was praised for raising recycled content of packaging, but provided no disincentives for using carrier bags.

But with the NCC warning of “wildly varying performance in terms of unnecessary packaging and plastic bags” in its report, Morrisons and Somerfield were told there was “room for improvement” in their actions to improve recycling and waste management.

Morrisons was labeled “poor”, scoring an “E” grade being the only supermarket not to offer a “bag for life”, and for failing to declare recycled content within its packaging.

And, Somerfield only staved off the bottom grade by offering shoppers free “bags for life” when they bring in five used carrier bags for recycling. It has also taken no action on recycled content in packaging or paper products.

Incentives

Releasing the second of its annual reports on supermarkets' environmental performance today, the National Consumer Council called on the companies to provide consumers with incentives to re-use carrier bags, and to use more recycled materials in packaging and paper products, for example in toilet rolls.

Larry Whitty, chair of the NCC, said: “NCC's research has spotted important signs of progress right across the market, with all stores now beginning to embrace sustainability. But much remains to be done if supermarkets are to become truly green grocers.”

The report's author, NCC senior policy advocate, said that supermarkets like Sainsbury's were beginning to show that environmental products and initiatives need not be available for just wealthy consumers.

She said: “It's really encouraging to see that a mass-market retailer like Sainsbury's can be a leader on sustainable initiatives. It proves that the green choice doesn't need to be the preserve of the affluent – it can be affordable and accessible to all.”

However, she added: “But even the top performing supermarkets still have a long way to go – we'd like them to do more to drive the green agenda consistently throughout their business.”

Ms Yates suggested that supermarkets go further than the current voluntary agreement with Defra – the so-called “Courtauld Commitment” to reduce the overall environmental impact of carrier bags by 25 per cent by the end of 2008 – by “phasing out plastic bags completely”.

In overall environmental actions, which included categories like energy efficiency and sustainable food procurement, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's and Waitrose scored the highest marks with “B” grades, with ASDA and Tesco scoring “C” grades.

Co-Op, Morrisons and Somerfield scored “D” grades overall.