Co-op has launched an own-brand kitchen towel made from 100% recycled content to build on its sustainability goals.
The new blend of recycled materials is made from 70% cardboard fibres – such as brown boxes used for home deliveries – while the other 30% is from recycled sorted office waste fibres.
Working with supplier WEPA the new towels are designed to save 230 tonnes of pure pulp, which is currently the main ingredient in traditional kitchen towels.
The kitchen towels will roll out in 1,000 of the convenience retailer’s stores in early 2024 as part of Co-op’s Honest Value range, and will retail at £1.85 – 5% cheaper than the current Honest Value SKU.
Co-op technical manager Janet Lawrence said: “This product directly supports a circular recycling economy, which we champion at Co-op, helping us to achieve our sustainability goals.
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“The clever use of cardboard fibres, which are more abundant in UK post-pandemic, is such a great message.
“We understand customers might be confused by the beige colouring of the kitchen towel, when they are used to white, but we want to reassure shoppers that this product has the same absorbency and quality as the previous line.”
A WEPA spokesperson added: “We are delighted to be working with Co-op to bring this new innovation to so many shoppers. With listings in 1,000 stores, consumers across the country will soon be able to enjoy the same great absorbency and strength as their previous kitchen towel, whilst also using recycled materials.
“The current recycled market equates to only 1.3% of total UK sales. Pure pulp remains an essential part of the supply mix when sourced from FSC certified forests. However, using recycled cardboard fibres is a great way to utilise an increasingly abundant raw material that would otherwise be discarded at the end of its life.”
