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Further information:
Courtauld Commitment:
www.wrap.org.uk/courtauld
On-pack recycling label scheme:
www.onpackrecyclinglabel.org.uk
Industry Council for Packaging and the environment (InCPen):
www.incpen.org
Packaging
Packaging is essential for the integrity and safety of our products, but too much packaging has both environmental and financial costs. We remain committed to minimising the amount of packaging we use – 147,508 tonnes in 2008/09 – and exploring the viability of new materials.
Under the terms of the Packaging Waste Regulations, we are obliged to recover and recycle up to 80% of our product packaging, depending on the material. We support this legislation, and contribute over £1 million a year towards a recycling compliance scheme that invests in domestic collections and public recycling centres.
John lewis is actively working to reduce own-brand packaging across its assortment by using the least amount of the most appropriate packaging material in every case. We have delivered more than 50 examples of lightweighting so far and will continue to do so. We are also replacing unrecyclable plastic packaging with more environmentally responsible options including cardboard where appropriate. For example, in men’s accessories, we have developed new packaging formats for bow ties and cravats which will remove an estimated 0.43 tonnes of packaging per year, as well as provide a cardboard-only solution.
Along with WRAP and other major UK food companies, waitrose is a signatory to the Courtauld Commitment, whose fi rst target – zero packaging growth by the end of 2008 – has been achieved. We have reduced the weight of our packaging by 13% since 2007/08, and remain committed to eliminating unnecessary packaging and developing new recycled, recyclable and lightweight solutions, including smoked salmon packaging which has been reduced by 50%, the removal of labels on own-brand egg boxes (saving 35 tonnes of packaging a year) and wine bottles made from 60% recycled glass that deliver a 30% reduction in weight. The launch of ‘essential Waitrose’ saw the introduction of a number of lines with reduced packaging.
Keen to build on the success of the existing Courtauld Commitment, WRAP is engaging with key stakeholders, including existing signatories, to develop a post-2010 Courtauld Agreement. This agreement looks to move beyond simply reporting reductions in the weight of packaging and recognise its full environmental impact. This will demonstrate packaging optimisation by accounting for other environmental improvements such as increasing the use of recycled content and increased recyclability.
Working with WRAP, the British Retail Consortium and other leading retailers, we developed a standard on-pack recycling labelling scheme for packaging, launched in 2008 and to be applied to all John Lewis and Waitrose own-brand product packaging by the end of 2009. The initiative replaces the previous range of recycling symbols and messages with a single Recyclenow logo and an icon to indicate the recyclability of the packaging.
Commitments
waitrose:
Reduce own-brand packaging by 2013 on a like-for-like basis, compared with 2005, and work with suppliers to encourage similar reductions.
Apply packaging recyclability labelling to own-brand products by year-end 2009.
Achieve a 50% reduction in the number of single-use carriers taken by customers by spring 2009 (target met, see below).
John lewis:
Reduce own-brand packaging on a like-for-like basis, delivering 50 new examples of ‘light weighting’ per year.
ensure all paper and card own-brand packaging can be recycled and is made from a recycled or sustainable source.
Reduce the use of own-brand plastic packaging material and eliminate the use of non-recyclable* plastics.
Apply packaging recyclability labelling to all new own-brand products by year-end 2009.
* as defi ned by on-pack recycling label scheme
Hot topic:
carrier bags
In December 2008, the UK Government, British Retail Consortium (BRC) and leading supermarkets agreed to a 50% cut in the number of single-use carrier bags given out to customers by spring 2009, measured against a 2006 baseline, in a bid to radically reduce the consumption of single-use carrier bags. Although retailers gave away 420 million fewer single-use carrier bags in May 2009 than May 2006, a reduction of 48%, plastic bags are still a hot topic, and we remain committed to continuing to reduce their use and environmental impact.
Through promoting our Bag for Life and other reusable bags, Partner training and prominent communications encouraging customers to reuse their existing bags, Waitrose has reduced single-use carrier bag usage by 50% in May 2009 compared to May 2006. Waitrose Dorchester has gone one step further and is trialling bagless deliveries through its WaitroseDeliver service. John Lewis has also made progress, reducing carrier bag usage by 6% by providing a variety of reusable bags and introducing a reusable Bag for Life in all shops. We have also introduced standard plastic bags made from 95% recycled material.
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