Tesco to launch network of recycling points for soft plastic
Tesco has begun rolling out soft plastic recycling points to 171 of its stores in the south west of England and Wales.
Customers will be able to use the collection points to return all their previously unrecycled soft plastic such as cling film, pet food pouches and crisp packets, irrespective of where the products were bought. Once collected, the old soft plastic will be sent for recycling where it will be washed, sorted and processed before being turned into new packaging for food, household and beauty products.
The roll out follows a successful trial in ten stores where customers returned more than ten times the expected amount of plastic. Tesco said the most common items to be returned during the trial were bread bags, fruit and vegetable packaging, crisp packets, salad bags and baby and pet food pouches.
The supermarket is also planning to roll the service out to all large stores nationwide.
Tesco’s director of wuality Sarah Bradbury said: “It is an absolute priority to remove and reduce as much plastic as possible and ensure everything we use is recycled and kept out of the environment. Where plastic serves an important purpose such as reducing food waste, these new recycling points make sure that every piece can be easily recycled. Trials have shown they are popular with customers, so we believe rolling them out at scale will have a real impact.”
