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U.K. Retailers Seek Advantage on Waste Issue

Written by Guest contributor

By Bernice Hurst, Managing Director, Fine Food Network

Consumers and retailers in the U.K. are drawing closer together in their views on waste and packaging. Voluntary targets were agreed for the following five years between the top 13 retail chains in July 2005 in the Courtauld Commitment. Linking with WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), objectives include:

  • Redesigning packaging to reduce excessive waste by 2008
  • Delivering absolute reductions in packaging waste by March 2010
  • Identifying ways to tackle the problem of food waste 

Finding ways to reduce waste through a combination of increased recycling and using more environmentally friendly (even compost-able) materials has moved to the top of the agenda. Competition to be "greenest" grocer is hotting up, although Asda's chief executive, Andy Bond, recently announced plans to host a sustainability conference later in the year for U.K. supermarket retailers to share expertise on packaging and renewable energy.
 
Consumers, meanwhile, are proving their willingness to cooperate by recycling as much of their waste as they can, sorting it into different coloured bags, boxes and bins generally supplied by local government departments. Earlier this year, the Women's Institute organized a series of demonstrations, encouraging members to return surplus bags and packaging to the supermarkets from which it had come in an effort, said national chair Fay Mansell, to persuade stores to "reduce unnecessary packaging and put the environment first."

Discussion Questions: Where does waste and packaging reduction stand on the environmental priority list for American consumers and businesses? In what specific ways are retailers and consumer goods manufacturers dealing with this issue?

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