{"id":10951,"date":"2022-06-21T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rangeme.com\/blog\/?p=10951"},"modified":"2022-06-21T06:27:12","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T14:27:12","slug":"grocery-retailers-take-notice-of-the-single-use-plastic-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rangeme.com\/blog\/grocery-retailers-take-notice-of-the-single-use-plastic-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Grocery Retailers Take Notice of the Single-Use Plastic Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A few years ago, I asked my father-in-law how the world has changed the most in his 90-odd years. I expected answers involving communications, computers, or phones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlastic,\u201d he responded. There was none when he was young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look around you: How much plastic can you see? Plastic is a growing global problem. It fills our landfills where it emits chemicals, and it ends up in our oceans, where sea creatures ingest it, or get it stuck around their heads, killing them or affecting their quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However plastic, especially single-use plastic, has been getting more attention in recent years and grocery retailers are starting to take notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Britain takes the lead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the U.K., in February, Tesco reported<\/a> that it has removed 1.6 billion pieces of plastic from its business, including bags from deliveries, plastic forks ( offering a wooden alternative), trays for whole chickens, and straws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using its \u201c4Rs\u201d packaging strategy, Tesco aims to Remove plastic where it can, Reduce where it can’t, Reuse more, and Recycle what’s left. Tesco has removed plastic wrapped multipacks of cans; wrapping around beer and cider; extra lids on products like wipes, creams, yogurts, and desserts; sleeves for greeting cards; and fruit packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tesco
Image \u00a9Licensed to Parsons Media. 25\/03\/2019. London, United Kingdom. Tesco Watford Less Plastic. Picture by Andrew Parsons \/ Parsons Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To launch the program, Tesco gave suppliers a list of preferred materials that are easier to recycle and stated that it reserves the right to no longer stock products in excessive packaging or hard-to-recycle materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sainsbury\u2019s is aiming to reduce plastic packaging by 50% by 2025. Some innovative moves include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n