But, they have warned that more needs to be done to ensure the targets are met, calling for action from local authorities and the likes of Defra and the Environment Agency, as well as the signatories to the commitment, to make the goals a reality.
We hope it will lead to real, holistic, science-based decisions in government, not decisions based on single factors such as carbon or packaging reduction
Jane Bickerstaffe, director, INCPEN
The second Courtauld Commitment unveiled yesterday by WRAP (see letsrecycle.com story) includes a new undertaking to reduce the carbon impact of grocery packaging by 10% by December 2012. This is as well as a target for reducing product as well as packaging waste across the supply chain, which was not included in its predecessor.
The significance of the move beyond simply targeting packaging waste was highlighted by Jane Bickerstaffe, director of packaging trade body the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN), who welcomed the fact that WRAP had “fundamentally shifted away from a single issue approach”.
But, she stressed that the new commitment was “just one step” towards WRAP and the industry improving its understanding of the complexity of supply chains.
She said: “We hope it will lead to real, holistic, science-based decisions in government, not decisions based on single factors such as carbon or packaging reduction.”
In particular, Ms Bickerstaffe noted that, in some instances, there could be a place for packaging to be increased, explaining that: “We think if the food waste figures are correct there is a case for more packaging if it reduces food waste.”
Closed Loop
The move beyond simple waste reduction targets in the new Commitment was also well-received by Chris Dow, managing director for London-based plastics reprocessor Closed Loop Recycling.
“We very much welcome the latest Courtauld Commitment 2 targets, which rightly go beyond simple weight-based targets for waste reduction,” he said.
Mr Dow highlighted the “unprecedented gains” that had been made in the UK over the last five years in terms of turning waste into a resource, but called for strong action to ensure this continued and the Courtauld Commitment met its goals.
He called for a “three way commitment” involving big brands and retailers increasing the
Amount of recycled content in their packaging, councils ensuring “consumer friendly” kerbside waste collections and efforts by Defra and the Environment Agency to “seriously reform” systems such as PRNs to ensure the industry an attract investment for infrastructure.
“Only then can the UK succeed in taking full responsibility for its own waste and delivering on its national targets,” he added.
Tesco
Tesco, which is one of the 28 signatories to the new agreement, yesterday highlighted the initiatives it was launching to reduce its carbon emissions from packaging.
These include a trial using plastic bottles for own-brand spirits instead of using glass, which, the supermarket claimed, also saves on outer packaging due to plastic being more durable than glass.
It also pointed to the launch of the “lightest ever” wine bottle, following the completion of a trial in collaboration with WRAP and suppliers (see letsrecycle.com story), and its work which aims to reduce emissions beyond packaging, throughout the supply chain by carbon footprinting and labelling products.
Tesco said this work to date had shown that packaging represented a small percentage of the overall carbon footprint of products, ranging between 0.9% and 8% for milk and detergents and just 2% for the latest product to be footprinted – a Jaffa orange.
Commenting on the supermarket's efforts, its executive director, Lucy Neville-Rolfe, said: “Tesco is always breaking new ground with innovative approaches to packaging.”
“However, more significantly we're working with our suppliers so that we reach our target of a 30% reduction in the carbon impact of the products in our supply chain by 2020,” she added.
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