Major retailers and brands have signed up to new food waste and packaging targets that will see them focus on the carbon impact of packaging rather than its weight and include reducing the carbon impact of all grocery packaging by 10 per cent by 2012.
The new targets, announced last week, are part of the second phase of the
Courtauld Commitment that was originally signed in 2005 and saw retailers agree to stop the growth in
packaging waste by 2008 and deliver absolute reductions by March 2010.
This time, retailers and brands extended the commitment to achieve more sustainable use of
resources over the entire lifecycle of products and throughout the
supply chain.
In all 28 retailers and brands have signed up to the ‘Courtauld Commitment 2’. They include supermarkets such as Waitrose, Tesco and Asda, and brands such as Unilever, Mars (UK) and Nestle. However, a number that signed up to the original agreement – including Marks and Spencer, Coca-Cola and Associated British Foods – have yet to sign the new commitment.
Under the Courtauld Commitment 2, signatories have agreed to three specific targets on packaging, household
food and
waste and supply chain product and packaging waste.
On packaging, they’ve agreed to reduce the weight, increase recycling rates and increase the recycled content of all grocery packaging, as appropriate. Through these measures the aim is to reduce the carbon impact of this grocery packaging by 10 per cent by 2012.
Reduce UK household food and drink waste by four per centThey’ve also agreed to reduce UK household food and drink waste by four per cent and to reduce traditional grocery product and packaging waste in the grocery supply chain by five per cent.
Liz Goodwin, chief executive officer of the Government’s Waste and Recycling Action Programme (WRAP), said: “One of the biggest challenges society faces over the next decade is reducing the environmental impact of the things we buy. This new agreement will bring about changes ranging from more efficient methods of production right through to the impact of household consumption.
“It’s no longer enough to look at the impact of packaging alone – that’s why Courtauld Commitment 2 takes into account the environmental impact of product waste in the supply chain as well as at household level.
Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, added: “A fifth of household waste is packaging, and more than half of this comes from the groceries we buy. This packaging can be essential but in many cases using less and smarter packaging can achieve the same result.
Defra and WRAP call on food retailers and brands to sign up “Grocery manufacturers and retailers have already started to take action and halted the increase in packaging. The new commitment sees them go further than ever in reducing food waste and packaging, and making it smarter – and I want to see members of the industry continuing to sign-up over the coming months.”
According to Defra, Courtauld has succeeded in stopping growth in packaging despite increases in both sales and population in the UK. Some 500, 000 tonnes less packaging was used over the period 2005 to 2009, it says.
Related news:Waste & recycling newsSustainable food newsResource efficiency newsEnvironmental regulations & compliance newsRelated links:www.defra.gov.ukwww.wrap.org.uk