Marks and Spencers Trial Recycled PET Packaging
by Warren McLaren, Sydney 
on 07.14.06
Europe is shooting for a goal of 60% of packaging waste being recovered or incinerated by 2008. (We hope they stuff they deem necessary to burn will, at least, be through waste-to-energy plants.) In concert with this aim is another to see that between 55 and 80% of packaging waste must be recycled. Some trials have been underway in the UK to reach these targets. One has been with iconic retailer Marks & Spencers, who’ve been dabbling in recycled PET (or rPET, as they’ve tagged it). Polyethylene Terephthalate being the plastic most commonly found in drink bottles. M&S used a portion of 1,100 tonnes of food grade rPET (Boots also participated) to make a range of salad bowls with 50% rPET content, plus juice and “smoothie” bottles of 30% rPET. Seems that “96 per cent of customers asked thought the rPET was a good idea, with 85 per cent saying it made them feel better about shopping at [M&S} stores.” The British government initiative urging on companies like M&S, is known as the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP). And they commented that interest in recycled PET had increased with recent upward movement in oil pricing, narrowing the price gap between the two. WRAP’s take on the project can be found here. Via ::Food Production Daily.
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Though they do seem to do a little more than the other supermarkets (some of their food comes in PLA pots etc), the sustainable packaging in M&S is really more the exception rather than the norm at the moment.
Although sandwich packs are rather nice, especially the way that other retailers have copied them by ditching the all-plastic designs, although not perhaps to the same degree (FSC cardboard, PLA window, clever fold out tray design).
Yes that little bit of recycling is at least a start how come most companies fight so much not to use recycled products when there is so much to saving energy you would think companies would be fighting for the recycled products they should be worth money like aluminum most people can usully get companies to buy that product well sure it might not be as profitable but it is profitable jimmymak9177@gmail.com