Tesco is set to remove plastic rings and shrink wrap packaging from its beers and ciders in a bid to save 50 million pieces of plastic a year.
The move, which the Big 4 grocer claims is a first for a major retailer, will take place early this month.
However, the packaging is expected to remain on shelves over the coming weeks as Tesco sells off its remaining stock.
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Multipack beers and ciders will be sold in boxes, cardboard sleeves or recyclable plastic in the future.
“We are working hand in hand with some of the world’s biggest brands to tackle the problem of unnecessary plastic,” Tesco quality director Sarah Bradbury said.
“We use as little material as possible and ensure that all the packaging in our stores can be easily recycled.”
WWF sustainable materials specialist Paula Chin praised the “positive action” and called for “collective action across retailers and brands to remove and reduce all problematic plastics.”
The initiative is part of Tesco’s 4Rs strategy (Remove, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) to remove excess packaging on products and recycle the rest.
In December 2020, the supermarket announced it had removed a billion pieces of plastic from its stores.
However, Tesco was criticised by Greenpeace earlier this year for a “significant increase” in sales of single-use plastic products.
