51% of food and drink items in UK supermarkets are packaged in “unnecessary” plastic that can be safely replaced with alternatives, research commissioned by DS Smith shows.
The Material Change Index, commissioned by the sustainable packaging company DS Smith and conducted by Retail Economics, analysed 1,500 supermarket groceries in the UK.
DS Smith estimates that 84% of unnecessary plastic in the UK can be replaced or significantly reduced by fibre-based alternatives.
The research found that unnecessary food and drink plastic packaging adds up to 29.8 billion avoidable items annually across the UK.
The Material Change Index research shows that most plastic packaging comes from processed foods.
90% of ready-meal and meal kits were packaged in unnecessary plastic, 89% of bread, rice and cereals; 83% of dairy products; and 80% of meat and fish.
DS Smith said “unnecessary” can be defined as replaceable plastic and can include both replaceable plastic and reducible plastic.
UK most reliant on plastic packaging
A survey of European food manufacturers and retailers carried out as part of the research found that 98% of respondents have commitments to reduce plastic packaging.
The findings showed that the UK is the most reliant on plastic packaging, with 70% of all food and drink items on British shelves containing plastic compared to Spain (67%), Italy (66%), Germany (66%), Poland (62%) and France (59%).
The survey also found that 60% have two years or less left to reach their voluntary targets; however, 25% say they are off track to reach them.
40% identified the cost of raw materials as the biggest obstacle, closely followed by the fear that consumers would not accept changes (39%).
72% believed that shoppers would not want to pay extra for sustainable packaging and 65% thought they wouldn’t want to sacrifice convenience for sustainability.
Commenting on the analysis, Miles Roberts, Group Chief Executive, DS Smith, said: “Good progress has been made but there is evidently a great deal more to do.
“We think government can and should be more demanding of us all – phasing out certain plastics to help create a level playing field that encourages innovation, investment, and generates healthy competition to replace plastic.
“The opportunity to meet consumer demand for more sustainable packaging is significant and we hope the Government’s forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy will find ways to support the use of materials that are more readily recyclable.”
