Tesco shoppers are to be given more freedom of choice when buying multipack drinks as part of a move by Tesco to save 45 million pieces of plastic a year.
Even though the supermarket is scrapping multipacks of its own label drinks, Tesco says that individual cans will continue to be sold at the same price per unit as a part of a multi-buy promotion. And instead of having to buy multiples of the same product, shoppers will be able to mix and match purchases including lemonade, cola, ginger beer, soda, and tonic water.
Customers are focused on getting great value right now, but they still want to use less plastic.
Tesco has stepped up its campaign against unnecessary plastic by removing the multipack wrap from many of its own brand food and drinks.
The supermarket says that initially 12 million pieces of plastic a year will be saved from use on all own-brand canned fizzy drinks. The multipacks of 4s used to cost £1 – now the price is 50p a can or four for £1.
In addition, Tesco says a further 33 million pieces of plastic will be removed in the autumn as plastic multipacks are removed from kids’ lunchbox drinks, energy drinks, water and fruit juices.
This is the latest in a series of actions Tesco says it has taken against multipack plastic. Tesco’s 4Rs packaging strategy aims to remove plastic where it can, reduce where it can’t, reuse more and recycle what’s left.
Since the launch of the 4Rs strategy in August 2019, Tesco says it has removed 1.7bn pieces and further reduced packaging by more than 3000 tonnes from its annual footprint. Fruit juices, crisps and cheese are all among the products now being produced using less plastic.
Tesco Head of Packaging Development, Johnny Neville, said: “Customers are focused on getting great value right now, but they still want to use less plastic.
“Not only is this move great news for the environment but it will also offer customers more choice and flexibility when it comes to fizzy drinks – at no extra cost. It could even work out much cheaper for customers who want a variety of drinks.”