A broader ‘mark II’ is here – but some argue regulation is required

Blue Planet fever was gripping the nation when the food and drink industry launched a “trailblazing” war against plastic in 2018, in the wake of the second instalment of the hugely popular BBC series.

Led by Wrap and the Ellen McArthur Foundation, the UK Plastics Pact set out a series of landmark commitments from the food and drink industry to slash plastic packaging by 2025.

Now with a year to go, half of its core targets are destined to be missed. So Wrap last week launched its own sequel: a Plastic Pact Mark II. Despite its name, the pact goes beyond plastic to look at the environmental impact of all packaging.

But can it get companies – and the public – to put their words into action without government regulation?

To put the plan into practice, Wrap has set up a steering group spanning supermarkets, brands, material sector bodies, packaging manufacturers, the waste management sector and the government.

It has pledged to come up with a framework to address “carbon, waste, material quality and reuse” in what appears to be an even more sweeping mission than the original.

A key element is to persuade supermarkets to roll out a standardised reusable and refillable packaging system at scale.

Wrap programme lead Vikki Chesterman says reuse will be a “core pillar” of the successor agreement, due to be launched in 2025. “Mainstreaming reuse will require a buy anywhere return anywhere approach or shopping in a more standardised way.”

One of the targets of Plastic Pact mark 1 was for 100% of packaging to be re-usable, recyclable or compostable by the end of 2025, but critics says conflating re-use and single use has given companies an easy cop out.

Refill Go Unpackaged 1

Source: Go Unpackaged

Several supermarkets have trialled reuse/refill in the UK, but failed to achieve scale

“Reuse has always been a part of the targets but going forwards there will be a far stronger focus on reuse/refill,” adds Chesterman.

However, the history of reuse trials is littered with false starts. Asda, Tesco and Morrisons have all pulled the rug on pilots amid lack of uptake from consumers.

“Whilst steady progress is being made on design for recyclability, reuse has taken a backward step,” says Chesterman. “This is because collaborative action is needed to scale reuse systems, deliver economies of scale and increase citizen participation.”

If persuading supermarkets and manufacturers to co-operate on reuse at scale is ambitious, another aim of the new pact is arguably more so.

Mark II will also include targets for other packaging materials, including paper, aluminium, compostables and glass.

“Continuing a focus on plastics alone, especially when looking at reduction and reuse goals, could lead to perverse outcomes, such as material switching, possibly to less circular materials,” says Chesterman. “By looking at packaging in the round we can provide transparency about the UK’s packaging footprint, have conversations about optimal design across materials where appropriate to do so and not shift the impact elsewhere.

“That being said, plastic packaging will continue to be the core theme,” Chesterman adds.Whilst Plastic Pact 1 also had a specific target to reduce plastic, the estimated 7% reduction achieved since the 2018 is underwhelming. Wrap says it is still discussing what new targets will look like, though they are widely expected to include making 20-30% of packaging reusable.

Wrap has also called for the government to introduce regulation to force companies to sell more fresh produce loose. Just 19% of fruit & veg is currently sold without plastic, it reports.

Yet the war on plastic to date has not been a total failure. Wrap points to 99.8% of “problematic” items being eliminated, against a target of 100% by 2025. Pact members have eradicated 33 billion items of problematic plastic.

It reports that 59% plastic of packaging is now effectively recycled, against a target target 70%, and that 99% of hard to recycle components have been effectively “designed out.”

But Wrap admits that until the vast amount of plastic film used by supermarkets is collected at scale it cannot be classified as recyclable, and that collections are dependant on yet to be introduced packaging reforms which are caught up in the troubled rollout of Extended Producer Responsibility

Regulation needed?

Negotiations are still underway over whether the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will put its name to the new pact, whose predecessor many say has failed to live up to its billing. Critics claim that without regulation, mark II will go the same way.

“Voluntary business action towards reuse and engaging in trials  has not delivered the momentum needed to address the tsunami of single-use plastic generated by our high streets,” says Jane Martin, CEO of campaign group City to Sea. “We are delighted Wrap understand the need for reuse to be a strategic priority and we welcome the sector target on loose vegetables.

“However, this represents the lowest-hanging fruit, and we’d add sectors such as health & beauty, home cleaning and food to go in the mix. Wrap also points to the need for supportive policy interventions and we agree that the carrot approach has not inspired business investment.”

City to Sea wants 30% of packaging on shelves to be reusable by 2030. “This would provide the tipping point for mainstreaming reuse and unlock growth, providing sustainable revenue, creating jobs, and generally revitalising the sector,” argues Martin. “We need to stop seeing reuse as a compromise and start viewing it as a commercial opportunity which will benefit profit, people, and planet.”

But her point on tougher action remains. “The stick, in the form of a robust UK policy framework that moves the market away from our default option of cheap and damaging single-use plastic, is needed.”