Iceland, the UK’s leading frozen food specialist, is committing to become the first major retailer globally to eliminate plastic packaging from all of its own brand products by the end of 2023.
The process will mean cutting down on the 1 million tons of plastic generated by supermarkets in the UK each year. In its place, Iceland will be harnessing the latest technologies to create a range of packaging comprising paper and pulp trays along with paper bags which are fully recyclable through domestic waste collection or in-store recycling facilities, and therefore less harmful to the environment.
Iceland Managing Director, Richard Walker, said: “The world has woken up to the scourge of plastics. A truckload is entering our oceans every minute, causing untold damage to our marine environment and ultimately humanity–since we all depend on the oceans for our survival. The onus is on retailers, as leading contributors to plastic packaging pollution and waste, to take a stand and deliver meaningful change.”
In a survey of 5,000 UK consumers, 80% would endorse a supermarket’s move to go plastic-free and nearly 68% think that other supermarkets should follow this lead. Iceland has already removed plastic disposable straws from its own label range and its new food ranges, which are set to hit the shelves in soon, will feature paper-based rather than plastic food trays.
