Responsible packaging
Packaging is back in the news again this week as a new report by the Local Government Association (LGA) suggests that not enough is being done by supermarkets to make packaging recyclable.
The ‘War on Waste' report said that supermarkets should pay more towards the cost of recycling to avoid council tax rises to pay for landfill.
In the LGA survey of 29 common grocery items, it found Waitrose had the most wrapping while Tesco had the least. Lidl had the least recyclable packaging on their products, Sainsbury's contained the most.
Since the LGA's first report in October 2007, the amount of food packaging created has decreased, but the amount recycled packaging has stayed almost exactly the same.
All the big supermarkets have responded with facts and figures to defend how much they've done in recent years, but is it enough? Waitrose said it had cut product packaging weight by over a third since 2001 whilst M&S have taken 2,600 tonnes of packaging out of their food products since January 2007. Waitrose believed the report was misleading and Asda described the survey as "fundamentally flawed".
In effect it's the consumers who will foot the bill either way, whether costs are added to our food products or our council tax. Maybe it's the design industry who should step in and help with a more intelligent and responsible approach?
The ‘War on Waste' report said that supermarkets should pay more towards the cost of recycling to avoid council tax rises to pay for landfill.
In the LGA survey of 29 common grocery items, it found Waitrose had the most wrapping while Tesco had the least. Lidl had the least recyclable packaging on their products, Sainsbury's contained the most.
Since the LGA's first report in October 2007, the amount of food packaging created has decreased, but the amount recycled packaging has stayed almost exactly the same.
All the big supermarkets have responded with facts and figures to defend how much they've done in recent years, but is it enough? Waitrose said it had cut product packaging weight by over a third since 2001 whilst M&S have taken 2,600 tonnes of packaging out of their food products since January 2007. Waitrose believed the report was misleading and Asda described the survey as "fundamentally flawed".
In effect it's the consumers who will foot the bill either way, whether costs are added to our food products or our council tax. Maybe it's the design industry who should step in and help with a more intelligent and responsible approach?
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