UK – UK-headquartered global snacking group Pladis has announced that it is eliminating non-recyclable black plastic from its on-shelf product portfolio as part of new sustainability measures.
The company said that the it ceased production of black plastic in December last year and the last batch of the material will be removed from the UK market by June
“As part of our commitment to the UK Plastics Pact, we’ve been working hard to transition our rigid plastic trays from black to recyclable cloudy rPET, which contain a minimum of 30% recycled content,” said Sylvain Cuperlier, head of sustainability at Pladis.
“We’re pleased to announce that the last black trays were produced in late December and we will complete this transition by the summer. This will save 80 million plastic trays from landfill every year.”
In 2018, Pladis set out an ambition of making all of its plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
The plan to remove black plastic from the entire on-shelf portfolio by summer 2021 illustrates the snack company’s commitment to making packaging more sustainable
“We’re pleased to confirm we’re on track to hit our targets, plus make a real impact long term,” Sylvain Cuperlier added.
Pladis’s new sustainability measures, which come just over two years after the company’s commitment to the UK Plastics Pact, also include the elimination of all PVDC film by June this year.
The company has already removed 35% of the film – cited by the Pact as a ‘problematic plastic’ – and increased the amount of ‘recycle-ready’ monopolymer film used across the business.
Pladis has also pledged a continued commitment to prioritising the development of sustainable packaging solutions across bestselling lines.
Such changes can help reduce CO2 emissions from transportation, with the company claiming to have already achieved savings of 127 tonnes per year through changes to its Jacob’s Mini Cheddars outer packaging.
Last November, Pladis also announced that it had improved the sustainability of its product packaging in rewrapping its classic McVitie’s Victoria selection to help save 129 tonnes of card each year.
The revamped version of the number one festive biscuit assortment now includes a downsized card outer, as well as an updated cloudy plastic, fully recyclable tray in its bid to make substantial environmental improvements.
By swapping the traditional black tray for a recyclable alternative, the company says it will save 60.5 tonnes of plastic from landfill annually.
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