Waitrose pledges to halve the packaging it uses in its products

As many of you know packaging waste is a serious issue and one that needs to be resolved as soon as possible. With this in mind, premium supermarket giant Waitrose has pledged to halve the packaging it uses in its products in 2016 compared to 2005. As reported in Packaging Europe, Waitrose will cut the packaging in its own brand ranges and support its suppliers in also cutting down wherever possible. In an interview conducted with Quentin Clark, the Head of Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing at Waitrose, it emerged that although Waitrose already supplies recyclable packaging, the “current infrastructure” in local authorities means that it’s not possible to recycle everything. The answer to this issue is to simply use less packaging in the first place; something that Waitrose has embraced. Ways in which Waitrose intends to reduce their packaging include: • Reducing the weight of their glass bottles • Package meat to be contained in flow wrap rather than in plastic containers • Carry on working to reduce the packaging waste in Easter eggs. It’s great that the supermarket giant intends to do this; hopefully a great example will be set and a standard established for other retailers and supermarkets to follow. At Wessex Packaging, we already work hard to reduce waste wherever possible. We do this by creating custom made to order packaging; thereby reducing the waste caused by cutting down a pre-produced product. We wish Waitrose the best of luck in their endeavour to conserve the environment.