An investigation reveals the inadequacies in Tesco and Sainsbury’s in-store recycling programs.
- The study shows most soft plastics from these programs are incinerated rather than recycled.
- The Environmental Investigation Agency tracked plastic waste across vast distances for this study.
- A significant proportion of these plastics were converted to fuel or burned for energy.
- Voluntary recyclability targets of the supermarkets are now under scrutiny.
An investigation by the Everyday Plastic campaign group and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA UK) unveils critical shortcomings in the recycling initiatives of major UK supermarkets, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. These leading grocery chains had established front-of-store collection points for soft plastic waste that cannot be recycled through household collections. Despite these efforts, the investigation concluded that the majority of plastic collected is incinerated, rather than being recycled, raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of these schemes.
The meticulous study involved embedding tracking devices in 40 bundles of plastic waste, which were subsequently recycled at both Tesco and Sainsbury’s outlets throughout England. The journey of these plastics spanned over 25,000 kilometers, revealing disconcerting results. Out of the final destinations, only a small fraction was repurposed into lower-value plastic products, with most plastics either being converted to fuel pellets or burned for energy recovery.
Specifically, of the tracked plastics, only one bundle was downcycled within the UK, while others were processed abroad, predominantly in Turkey. Alarmingly, 70% of these plastics ended up incinerated. This revelation puts pressure on the supermarkets’ claims of progress towards packaging recyclability targets. The schemes have also led to various plastics featuring recycling labels urging customers to contribute to these supermarket programs, thus diverting attention from broader issues of unnecessary plastic production.
Alison Colclough, research director at Everyday Plastic, voiced concerns regarding the presentation of these schemes as environmental solutions, indicating that they distract from the excessive production of plastic packaging. In response, Sainsbury’s acknowledged improvements in signage and the quality of plastic received, stating their efforts to manage the end-of-life of packaging responsibly. A spokesperson emphasized that feedback is vital for enhancing their recycling performances.
A Tesco representative pointed out that they are actively refining their packaging processes, striving to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials as much as feasible. Mistakes such as diverting materials to Turkey were cited as supplier errors. Tesco highlighted alternative uses for non-recyclable plastics, such as energy recovery, while acknowledging the ongoing need for substantial improvements in recycling soft plastics across the UK and the EU.
The report underscores the urgent need for more robust recycling infrastructures and genuine solutions to tackle plastic waste effectively.