Marks & Spencer’s has become the first retailer in the United Kingdom to test the use of recycled plastic in food and drink packaging on a large scale – and to gauge customer reaction to the concept.
Funded by the Waste & Resources Action Programme, the project has seen Marks & Spencer working in conjunction with Closed Loop London and London Remade to introduce post-use recycled plastic in the packaging for its ‘Food to Go’ range. The 6-month trial involves around 1,500 metric tons of recycled PET being used in a host of packaging applications, with the recycled content ranging from 30-50 percent.
It is the first time that recycled PET has been used in such a high-profile, high-volume product line in the UK and an important element of the project is the marketing and consumer research.
To further encourage closed loop recycling, Marks & Spencer will also provide recycling bins at the front of four central London stores for the collection of used plastic containers that are suitable for closed loop recycling, and cardboard packaging.
Helene Roberts, Marks & Spencer’s Packaging Manager, is very positive about the trial and the opportunities it could open up for other Marks & Spencer product ranges in the future.
“The recycling of plastic packaging in the UK is still a major challenge and as a result, our customers have difficulty seeing any type of plastic as sustainable,” she says. “We believe that this project can help improve recycling levels and the customer’s perception of plastic packaging."
London Remade, a capital-wide recycling initiative aimed at developing markets for waste and recyclables, and Closed Loop London, a company with wide experience in the implementation of closed loop recycling programs, have been providing technical and operational expertise to Marks & Spencer on the incorporation of rPET in the new packaging.
Liz Goodwin, director of Materials for WRAP, said: “We are delighted to be working with Marks & Spencer, Closed Loop London and London Remade on this high profile range. The launch of the new recycled PET packs reflects the growing desire by retailers and consumers to see recycled plastic being used in packaging.
“In recent research conducted by WRAP, 79 percent of consumers said they would feel ‘more positive’ about a brand or a manufacturer that uses recycled plastic. We are confident that the consumer reaction to the new Marks & Spencer packs will be positive and anticipate that, as a result of the WRAP project, other retailers and branded manufacturers will be developing packaging with recycled content.”
The Marks & Spencer project is one of three WRAP-funded trials launched in January this year to investigate the use of post-consumer rPET in retail packaging. The two other trials, which will be underway later in the summer, are being carried out by Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd and Boots.
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