One year on from the Courtauld Commitment, a voluntary agreement between retailers to cut the growth in waste resulting from their products (see letsrecycle.com story), WRAP revealed that the sector is only a tenth of the way to achieving the Commitment's voluntary targets.
 Retailers have only achieved a tenth of their waste-cutting targets in the first of five years under the Courtauld Commitment |
Under the agreement, all major supermarket chains have pledged to bring a halt to the year-on-year growth in packaging waste arisings by 2008.
And, by 2010 the retailers had promised to reduce the amount of waste they create.
According to WRAP, that means cutting waste by 160,000 tonne before 2008 and by 340,000 tonnes by 2010. But, in the first year retailers have cut packaging waste levels by just 35,000 tonnes.
Bradshaw
Marking the first year of the Commitment, local environment minister Ben Bradshaw met with retailers today to urge them to redouble their efforts to cut waste.
Along with 13 of the top supermarket chains, the minister met with food manufacturers Heinz, Northern Foods and Unilever, who were the first brand-owners WRAP has persuaded to sign up to the Courtauld Commitment.
Commenting on the Commitment, Mr Bradshaw said: “Packaging has grown by 12% between 1999 and 2005 – and now makes up a third of the average household waste stream.
“When we talk to people about the need to recycle and cut down on their waste, the biggest response we get from them is asking how I'm expected to do this when I'm being bombarded by all this packaging,” the minister said.
Asked if the Courtauld Commitment would become compulsory for retailers if the existing voluntary targets were not reached, Mr Bradshaw said: “By 2008, if we have not achieved an ending to the growth in packaging waste, and if by 2010 we have not achieved absolute reductions, then we would have to look at it again.”
Food waste
The minister noted that the “scandalous” amount of food waste being generated by the supermarkets was also something needing to be tackled, suggesting that around 15% of waste from supermarkets was “methane-emitting” food waste.
– Ben Bradshaw
WRAP's chief executive, Jennie Price, said that the work being carried out to cut packaging waste was taking account of the possibility that reducing packaging could lead to an increase in food waste.
Mrs Price said: “We are very much taking account of food waste in the packaging reductions. We don't want to sponsor any scheme that will lead to more waste being created. We test all the innovations to make sure that they cut waste across the chain.”
Stephen Ridge, director of quality assurance at supermarket chain Somerfield, revealed to letsrecycle.com that his company had even tried a project with WRAP in which more packaging was used for products like fruit in order to cut down on food waste.
However, Mr Ridge said the project hadn't worked and would not be continued. “At least we tried it,” he said, explaining: “We wanted to see if the packaging would extend the shelf life – because that would cut food waste. But the fruit was too wet – and often is if it is British fruit – and didn't end up extending the shelf life.”
Biodegradable
With some supermarkets on the Courtauld Commitment opting to switch to biodegradable packaging, the minister also said there were environmental problems associated with packaging that breaks down in the waste stream.
Mr Bradshaw said: “The public seems quite keen on biodegradable packaging. However, there is a real problem with biodegradables – looking at the overall life cycle of them, using something like paper bags can be actually much worse than plastic, and we do have to be careful if the biodegradable material is made from something like virgin oil.
“We are not encouraging it, we are asking the retailers to think very carefully about what they do,” he added.
Acknowledging the concerns about the recyclability of biodegradable packaging – and the attitude of commercial composters towards supposedly “compostable” packaging, Mrs Price said biodegradable packaging was something to be addressed within the Courtauld group.
She said the organisation was to hold a Round Table discussion with the major retailers, at which the issue of biodegradable packaging would be discussed.
“We will talk about the best option for biodegradable packaging,” Mrs Price said, “it is really important that any biodegradable packaging is small so it can be put into home composting bins.”
Recycled content
Heinz, one of the first brand owners to be targeted by WRAP in the next phase of the Courtauld Commitment, was applauded by Mr Bradshaw for saving 1,400 tonnes of steel every year through 10% lighter cans (see letsrecycle.com story).
The company told letsrecycle.com that after designing a lighter-weight can end with its packaging industry partners Corus and Impress, it would next be looking to reduce the weight of the can body.
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Nigel Dickie, director of corporate and government affairs for Heinz, said the company was using a combination of smart design and double-rolled steel to make their cans lighter. He said the company was focussing on its cans first, but other projects involving product ranges in plastic bottles could follow.
Regarding the use of recycled plastic within Heinz bottles, he said cautiously: “I'm sure if it was achievable and safe for our products then it would be something we would look into.”
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