SOFT plastics dropped off by customers at Tesco stores will be transformed into outdoor furniture and garden equipment for NHS health centres thanks to a new recycling process.
The supermarket has partnered with Veolia to utilise the process that can turn difficult to recycle soft plastics – such as bread bags, yoghurt tops, and crisp packets – into items such as benches, decking, tables, and raised beds.
The programme, which is being coordinated by the charity Groundwork and in partnership with NHS Property Services and Veolia, will see gardens created in community locations around the country with furniture and equipment made entirely from hundreds of thousands of pieces of soft plastics returned to stores by Tesco customers – with a bench requiring 2,500 pieces of soft plastic to create!
Tony McElroy, Tesco head of campaigns, said, “It’s fantastic to see the soft plastic that our customers are returning being turned into something new that will benefit communities and help give young people a stronger start in life. It’s still our absolute priority to remove and reduce as much plastic as possible and make sure everything we use is recycled and kept out of the environment.”
Dr. Min Rodriguez, head of social impact at NHSPS, added, “We are really proud of the impact our social prescribing sites have had on individuals and communities – just between 2022 and 2023 we have reached 60,000 patients. This collaboration with Tesco, Veolia and Groundworks highlights the potential of innovative partnerships to not only create vibrant spaces for public benefit but also to drive positive change in healthcare and environmental sustainability. And it’s particularly special that we are repurposing soft plastics instead of increasing waste.”
Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s UK chief executive, commented, “This is a great example of innovative thinking to minimise plastic waste while improving much needed open spaces in local communities. We’re proud to be playing our part in delivering this project with the sustainable design expertise and nature-based solutions brought by our Landscape Architects and look forward to seeing the benefits it brings to communities and the environment.”
