Tesco removes two billion pieces of plastic from its business

Tesco has confirmed it has now removed more than two billion pieces of plastic from its UK business since the launch of its 4Rs packaging strategy in 2019 (‘Remove, Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’). In the last 12 months, the supermarket has identified and removed 500 million pieces of unnecessary plastic.
Tesco to go peat-free on UK-grown bedding plants and compost in major carbon-saving move

Tesco will become the first UK retailer to go peat-free on its British-grown bedding plants, in order to significantly lower their carbon footprint. From earlier this year the supermarket started selling only compost that is also completely peat-free.
Vital new collaboration will drive action on cutting climate impact of UK food and drink

With estimates that food and drink consumed in the UK is responsible for around 35% of our territorial emissions, climate action NGO WRAP and WWF-UK have joined forces with eight of the UK’s largest retailers to standardise measurement and reporting of GHG emissions from food and drink.
Westpak’s sustainable packaging shown across Waitrose & Partners Duchy Organic refresh

Westpak have frequently worked alongside Waitrose & Partners, supplying sustainable packaging for numerous fresh produce lines. Recently, several core pieces of our supplied packaging have been featured in-store as part of the supermarket’s ‘Duchy Organic’ range, including microflute kiwi and grape punnets.
Has ‘sustainability’ become a packaging cliché?

‘Sustainability’ has become a major component of the consumer mindset throughout the foodservice packaging industries and beyond. The downside to this rapid increase in awareness has become clear, with the market being flooded with clichéd terminology and near-meaningless declarations of environmentalism. Large amounts of sustainability terminology are in danger of not just being misleading, but losing meaning altogether.
Westpak at the ‘Sustainable Packaging News’ Circular Economy Conference

Westpak were thrilled to recently take part in the ‘Sustainable Packaging News’ online circular economy conference. In case you missed the video, here’s the written article exploring ‘recycling infrastructure vs packaging innovations’.
Tesco’s landmark LEAF Marque certification

Tesco has announced the completion of its landmark roll-out of LEAF Marque certification, with all of its UK fruit and veg growers now certified to robust environmental standards, working towards whole-farm, continuous improvement in areas including climate resilience, biodiversity, soil health, greenhouse gas emissions, and deforestation.
Sainsbury’s introduces ‘Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me’ boxes to reduce food waste

Sainsbury’s is introducing ‘Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me’ fruit and vegetable boxes in over 200 selected supermarkets across the country, following a successful trial. These boxes will include a variety of surplus fresh fruit and vegetables and will be sold for a lower price to help customers have access to affordable nutritious food.
Is veganism still shaping the UK’s grocery and foodservice markets?

Trying to pinpoint where veganism stands in the mindset of today’s consumer can be a tricky task. The movement undoubtedly gained huge traction over recent years but has this started to slow down?
Asda revamps refill proposition

Asda first introduced refill two years ago and has since been testing and learning, working with customers to find what most appeals to them. Asda has partnered with WRAP and Unilever, with funding from Innovate UK, to find out customer barriers to participation, so it could look at ways it can increase participation.