What's being done to reduce packaging?
A lot of work is being done to reduce the amount of packaging waste we produce and reduce its impact on the environment, from lightweighting drinks cans and bottles to reducing the amount of cardboard used around products. On the right you can see some of the innovations retailers and brands are adopting to make their packages positive.
The Scottish Government is committed to reducing unnecessary packaging as we work towards meeting our target in Scotland of stopping growth in municipal waste by 2010.
Richard Lochhead, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment.
Courtauld Commitment
To demonstrate their commitment to cutting waste from their products 31 of the major grocery retailers, suppliers and brands have signed up to a voluntary agreement called the Courtauld Commitment.
The Courtauld Commitment aims to:
Design out grocery packaging waste growth by 2008
This first objective has been met despite increases in sales and population.
Deliver absolute reductions in packaging waste by 2010
Help reduce the amount of food the nation's householders throw away by 155,000 tonnes by 2010, against a 2008 baseline.
Further information on the Courtauld Commitment can be found on the
WRAP website.
Packaging legislation
Within the UK, legislation prevents manufacturers and retailers using excess packaging. This has led to a reduction in the amount of packaging used around products.
The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 (as amended) set out a number of requirements that all items of packaging must meet before being placed on the UK market. In summary, these are:
Packing volume and weight must be the minimum amount to maintain necessary levels of safety, hygiene and acceptance for the packed product and for the consumer.
The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 require businesses to pay a certain amount towards the cost of recycling and recovering packaging waste. The amount a company has to pay is based on the amount of packaging they use. In other words, the more packaging a company uses the more it has to pay.
Further information on Packaging legislation can be found on the
NetRegs website.
Carrier bag target
At the Scottish Government's 'Supermarket Summit' in September 2008, retailers agreed to reduce carrier bag usage by 50% by Spring 2009.
The Positive Package
