Arla has removed coloured milk bottle caps, replacing them with clear tops in a bid to improve recycling rates and limit plastic waste.
The change, which is taking place in partnership with its own-label milk buyers, is being introduced across its entire milk portfolio this month, The Grocer reported.
While its former coloured caps were recyclable, the dairy company’s new lids are both recyclable and able to be recycled back into food grade packaging to be used again in the food sector.
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These will be created with a minimum of 30% recycled material and forms part of Arla’s commitment to achieve 100% recyclable packaging across its products by 2025.
“As the UK’s largest dairy co-operative, we are committed to our climate journey and focussed on reducing emissions throughout production, transport and logistics, packaging, and on farm, ” Arla head of milk, organic and yoghurt, Catriona Mantle, told The Grocer.
“We are continuously exploring new ways to reduce our climate impact from our packaging material and are pleased to confirm we will be introducing clear caps across our milk portfolio from early June 2023, which will see nearly 1,000 tonnes of food-grade plastic being retained in the circular system.”
This comes as Aldi is switching to colourless milk caps across all 990 UK stores, while Asda is replacing coloured milk bottle tops with clear caps across its own-label fresh milk to recycle 207 million pieces of plastic every year.
Lidl will also be permanently swapping its green coloured milk caps on semi-skimmed milk for clear ones, enabling 60 tonnes per year of recycled high-density polythene to be turned back into food-grade packaging.
