Reducing our use of plastic packaging
Posted on February 19, 2020
To support Asda’s commitment to reduce the use of plastic in the business, we aim to remove 225 tonnes of plastic from our packaging in 2020.
We use packaging to protect, preserve and present products so that they can reach our customers in the best possible condition. It also helps us to reduce food waste.
Any product with moisture content needs to be contained to prevent leakage so that it can be transported to stores and to customers’ homes. When we’re looking at the best type of packaging for a product, we look at the overall environmental impact of the various options available. For example, glass and card are heavier materials so can use more energy or water to make and to transport, resulting in increased emissions.
Reducing the use of ‘avoidable’ plastic
At the moment, plastic can often be the best solution for packaging in terms of overall carbon footprint – but we don’t want that to be the only solution available. So, we have been looking for new solutions to reduce our use of ‘avoidable’ plastic as well as improve recyclability and the use of recycled plastic in our packaging.
Since the begining of this year, we have taken some important steps forward to deliver our 225 tonne target and have removed an impressive 31 tonnes of plastic from our packaging. That’s four-and-a-half Elephants’ worth!
The savings have been made on the following products.
The punnet height has been reduced on:
- 160g Melon Chunks (3.5 tonnes of plastic removed)
- 160g Melon & Grapes (3.7 tonnes of plastic removed)
- 160g Watermelon & Apple (0.65 tonnes of plastic removed)
- 200g Pineapple Kiwi & Grape (2.9 tonnes of plastic removed)
The weight of the punnet has been reduced on:
- Extra Special Sweet Aromatico Tomatoes (7.7 tonnes of plastic removed)
- Large Vine Ripened Tomatoes [4 pack] (11.6 tonens of plastic removed)
We have also completely removed the plastic tray from our Extra Special Baby Leeks, removing a further 1.25 tonnes of plastic.
