UK supermarkets: battling to be seen as green
In the UK, 5.9 million tonnes of household packaging is thrown away every year. And a 2008 survey found that 79% of us feel that products are over-packaged. From tackling waste to slashing CO2 emissions, we take a look at how the big players in the supermarket industry are embracing eco-friendly habits.
What a difference cucumber wrapping can make!
Marks & Spencer found it could save seven tonnes of packaging in one year by reducing the thickness of its cucumber wrapping by 20% – a change most customers wouldn’t even notice. It also achieved a 92% reduction in packaging by removing the plastic tray from its pack of beans.
Since 2004-05, Sainsbury’s has reduced its total packaging weight by 13% and cut plastic packaging of tomatoes by a massive 230 tonnes per year.
How much waste is recycled?
Tesco now diverts 100% of the waste from its 2,315 stores from landfill to recycling plants and recycles 300,000 tonnes of cardboard per year. Much of this finds its way back to the store within two weeks as product packaging.
Many supermarkets are increasingly sourcing their packaging from sustainable sources. In a 2009 survey, Aldi stocked the highest proportion of products with Forest Stewardship Council certification and recycled packaging (96%).
Why sustainable sourcing could save species
In the UK nearly 90% of all fresh and frozen fish is bought through supermarkets (a massive industry - about £1.82 billion in 2004/5), which puts a lot of responsibility on supermarkets’ shoulders regarding where and how they source fish.
Methods like bottom trawling, for example, cause significantly more environmental damage than using lines, and several species have been fished to the brink of extinction.
Asda has removed threatened species from their fish counters, while Marks & Spencer was the first UK company to sign the WWF’s Seafood Charter. This will ensure that all its wild fish come from the most sustainable sources by 2015.
Why a happy chicken means a happy planet
The extensive publicity of the “£2 Chicken” and the conditions in which many of Britain’s battery chickens are bred, have made animal welfare big news.
Most supermarkets have now adopted extensive labelling systems to make it easier to find the chicken you want to buy (caged, free range or organic). Sainsbury’s stopped selling eggs from caged hens all together in February 2009. At Marks & Spencer all fresh chicken is “Oakham chicken”, which comes from reputable UK farms.
Is it best to buy local?
The food in your shopping basket can clock up some serious miles (and carbon emissions). What’s the solution? Supermarkets sourcing larger amounts of food from local farmers is a big part of it.
As part of Marks & Spencer’s extensive 100-step Plan A to tackle climate change, the supermarket now sources “as much of its food locally as possible”. In 2009 they bought 48% of all UK-grown cherries, while in 2008 Sainsbury’s bought 45% of all UK-grown tomatoes.
Produce grown in fields without heating or protection has a much smaller carbon footprint than that grown in energy-intensive greenhouses and flown halfway around the world. So it makes sense to choose produce that is actually in season.
In a recent Consumer Focus survey Waitrose was commended for stocking the highest percentage of seasonal produce, followed by Sainsbury’s. The group also listed Tesco, Lidl and Marks & Spencer as supermarkets that have performed well in this area.
How you can be a greener shopper
- Wherever possible, buy produce that is in season
- Choose items that have come from local or UK-based farmers and producers
- Opt for sustainably-sourced meat and fish – that way supermarkets will respond to consumer demand and supply more of the same
- Rather than doing several trips to the supermarket each week, leave the car at home and do a weekly shop online
- Even if your local recycling service doesn’t collect plastic, save those juice cartons and other plastic items and take them to a plastic recycling point (some larger supermarkets offer these)
Team Green Britain
and London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic
Games Ltd (LOCOG) do not endorse any of the products, companies,
organisations, opinions or websites that have been mentioned in this
article. The content of this article has merely been provided as
background to, or discussion on, various topical issues relating to the
environment and it is not necessarily representative of the views of
Team Green Britain and LOCOG. Further, any figures and calculations
noted in this article are estimates (unless otherwise specified), and
may vary in light of numerous factors and readers are advised to
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