Marks & Spencer (M&S) claims it is the first UK retailer to move to paper packaging for its garlic baguettes, a move predicted to eliminate 5.5 million units of plastic from its supply chain.
All of the retailer’s single and twin garlic baguettes are now available in FSC-approved paper packaging, which can reportedly be easily recycled at home. M&S says its single garlic baguette is the company’s biggest seller in garlic breads, selling 4.3 million units each year.
M&S states that reducing plastic packaging is one of the key issues its customers care strongly about, and its actions towards this include being ‘the first national retailer’ to introduce a fully recyclable paper fibre coffee cup and lid earlier this year, switching from a plastic bag to a paper band on bunches of bananas, and switching produce lines such as British Collection vine tomatoes, mushrooms and tropical fruit to cardboard solutions.
The company adds that at the end of last year, it had met its target to remove 75 million units of plastic in 2023-2024 four months earlier than planned. The brand has committed to remove one billion units by 2027, as part of its Plan A roadmap to net zero by 2040.
Lucinda Langton, head of Sustainability at M&S Food, commented: “We know our customers rank packaging as a top priority and M&S is committed to reducing plastic packaging as a key part of our Plan A roadmap to Net Zero. It’s a good step forward to remove 5.5m units from our supply chain and we continue to work with our suppliers to find innovative new materials, processes, and equipment so we can make change at scale. These changes mean our customers can trust that the M&S quality products they love are made, sourced, and packaged with care.”
Back in March, M&S reported that its Jersey Royal potatoes were being packaged in 100% recyclable paper packaging, aiming to remove an estimated 1 million pieces of plastic from the product line in first year. The company said the plastic-free packaging seeks to keep the product undamaged and fresh while unlocking end-of-life recyclability.
The following month, single origin chocolate brand Cox & Co introduced its paper flow wrap chocolate packaging, which apparently allowed it to phase out all plastics and give consumers a kerbside recyclable wrapping. Designed to replace the company’s compostable plastic packaging, the solution also aimed to reduce the amount of chocolate packaging waste ending up in landfill.
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