OVER 850 tonnes of soft plastic has been collected in Tesco stores following the supermarket’s launch of collection points in August.
Launched in partnership with packaging manufacturer, Berry Global, Tesco said it is collecting 25 to 30 tonnes per month of the material – which includes bread bags and fruit, vegetable and salad packaging.
The collected material is then being sent to Berry Global’s recycling facility in Derbyshire where it is washed, scrubbed and dried with any unwanted items being removed. The resulting material is then turned into pellets which are used to manufacture bin liners.
To ensure the resulting bin liners have suitable strength, the supermarket said the recycled plastic pellet is blended with recovered agricultural films, such as baling wrap. It added that the combination of the two recycled material sources gives the refuse sacks the required strength and durability, with a ‘high resistance’ to tearing.
William Guest, Tesco sustainability packaging manager, commented, “After doing everything possible to remove and reduce plastic from our stores, we want to ensure that materials are recycled into new products and packaging. Our soft plastic collection points help to plug the gap in the country’s recycling infrastructure, and when combined with initiatives like this, we meet our customers’ ask that materials do not go to waste.”
Mike Baxter, external affairs director at Berry Global, added, “Our collaboration with Tesco demonstrates how traditionally hard to recycle plastics can now be sustainably converted and remanufactured into new products in the UK. We are delighted to be supporting this Tesco initiative which helps to keep valuable used plastic film out of the waste stream.”
