Plastic packaging has long been synonymous with the grocery sector, typically found wrapped around everything from fruit and veg to beer and bread.
While useful for protecting food and drink products as they move through the supply chain and sit on supermarket shelves, increasing awareness about the role plastic plays in climate change has also led to criticism surrounding the amount of packaging being used.
Waste action charity WRAP describes the current UK plastics system as “failing”; with a throwaway culture leading to increasing levels of plastic waste and harmful emissions which go on to pollute the natural environment and contribute to the climate crisis.
Plastic packaging accounts for nearly 70% of the UK’s plastic waste, so it’s crucial that the grocery sector takes responsibility for its part in reducing that.
There has been a lot of noise around the work supermarkets have been doing over recent months. Tesco, M&S Aldi and Lidl have all made changes to their own packaging which will remove billions of pieces of plastic each year, while Iceland is on a mission to become the first ‘plastic neutral’ UK supermarket – although it has been forced to delay those plans slightly.
But what are food and drink brands doing to hold up their end of the deal? Looking to satisfy consumers, cut costs and improve their environmental footprint, brands across the food, beverage and confectionary sectors have also been putting their words into action as they up their sustainable packaging game.
So why are FMCG brands choosing now to ‘go green’ with their packaging, what changes are they making and will it be enough? Grocery Gazette investigates…
Why is sustainable packaging on the rise?
One of the main factors influencing the current spike in sustainable packaging is consumer interest and demand, according to retail consultant Ian Scott.
He told Grocery Gazette that FMCG brands have seen a “growing momentum towards sustainability as there’s a growing awareness that customers are starting to expect brands to do something.”
Scott described the “big motivator” for these brands as “doing something because you’re going to lose customers.”
According to WRAP, two thirds of consumers in the UK are concerned about plastic waste. Its head of business collaboration, Helen Bird, says: “most people want the products they buy to be packaged in recyclable material. It’s never been more important to roll these changes out; supporting shoppers to buy smart and sustainably.”
Cost is also a contributing factor, according to Scott. He says: “the cost of sustainable solutions is coming down. One of the most sustainable things is to simplify packaging as well, which is naturally a cost reduction.”
Seeing leading retailers actively reducing the plastic packaging used in their own-label products also acts as a driving force for food and drink brands to make similar changes.
“You may well see that brands see a retailer starting to drive the change themselves so decide to sort their act out too,” Scott adds.
Last month, Tesco partnered with leading toothpaste brands such as Colgate, Oral B, Sensodyne, Aquafresh and Corsadyl to scrap the cardboard box that toothpaste products are usually packaged and sold in. As a result, Tesco expects to save 680 tonnes of cardboard per year.
Scott adds that packaging improvements and replacements are often the result of complicated and lengthy discussions between both retailers and suppliers, pointing out that: “I don’t think a brand could unilaterally change its packaging and expect someone like Tesco and Sainsbury’s to just accept it.”
What changes have FMCG brands made to their packaging?
Cadbury
Mondelez confectionary brand Cadbury recently changed the packaging of its Dairy Milk chocolate to include 30% certified recycled plastic – a move which has now been rolled out across 28 million sharing bars. This also comes as part of the company’s overall goal to reduce the use of virgin plastic material in its plastic packaging portfolio by 5% by 2025.
Reducing plastic has been an ongoing process for Mondolez – just last year it removed the plastic windows from all Cadbury inclusion shell Easter eggs in a drive to meet its sustainability targets.
A spokesperson for Mondelez told Grocery Gazette that the company is also now “using 15% less packaging across [its] most iconic large Cadbury sharing bags”.
“The optimised pack format will remove the equivalent of 20 football pitches worth of packaging each year – while keeping the same amount of treats inside.”
Heineken
Beer brand Heineken launched an improved version of its ‘Green Grip’ carboard multipack can topper, replacing the need for single-use plastic rings. First trialed in Tesco stores since last November, according to the brand, its introduction has saved 336 tonnes of single-use plastic to date.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola Great Britain is extending its attached caps across its 500ml bottles, adding to its 1.5L bottles which rolled out the innovation in May.
The latest change will affect its brands including Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Fanta Zero with the new design keeping the cap connected to the bottle once opened.
Quality Street
Nestle confectionary brand Quality Street has removed the bright plastic wrapping on its chocolate to prevent almost two billion wrappers ending up in landfill every year. Instead, its chocolates will continue to be packaged in bright wrapping coated in a vegetable-based wax.
Muller
Dairy company Muller announced its plans in August to cut 500 tonnes of plastic from its packaging by converting 75% of its cream volume to rPET pots which are 100% recyclable and contain 82% recycled material.
Green Man Spirits
Spirit Pool brand, Green Man Spirits launched a 94% recyclable carboard bottle to package its newly launched Wildwood Vodka, created in collaboration with sustainable packaging company, Frugalpac. The new packaging uses 77% less plastic and has a carbon footprint 83% lower than a glass bottle.
Can anything else be done?
While reducing the size of packaging, cutting down on the materials used, enhancing recyclability and limiting the plastic content are some of the most common ways for FMCG brands to achieve higher levels of sustainable packaging, Bird says there are other ways they can increase their sustainability credentials.
She says: “Plastic wrappers are not yet collected by local authorities, but this is set to change in the coming years. In the meantime, leading supermarkets are providing 5,000 collection points for all types of plastic bags and wrappers.”
Scott also adds that “material use isn’t just about recyclability, it’s also about how you design it for use afterwards.”
While it remains encouraging that many food, confectionary and beverage brands are taking active steps to reduce the plastic waste they generate, this is just the beginning of a much longer journey. It’s clear that the eco-revolution of product packaging must continue to be a joint effort between brands, retailers and consumers if the grocery sector is to truly achieve sustainability throughout the FMCG product journey.
