Covid-19 has thrown some hurdles in the way of progress on plastic, but it’s an issue that remains pertinent despite the pandemic.
If anything, the plastic problem is more pressing than ever. As will be highlighted in the BBC’s War on Plastic series, which returns to screens tonight with a focus on the new scourge of disposable face masks, alongside existing concerns over plastic in teabags and sandwich packets.
It should come as no surprise, then, that retailers are coming under pressure to do more on plastic. Concerned by the pace of progress so far, Greenpeace has this week called on the mults to hit a new target of a 50% reduction by 2025.
By focusing on just 13 key categories, supermarkets could remove 300,000 tonnes of plastic from their supply chains, a new report by the campaign group claims – the equivalent weight of more than 7,000 supermarket delivery lorries that if lined up nose-to-tail would reach from Birmingham to Manchester.
Suggestions for slashing plastic in these categories range from “just stop selling them” in the case of plastic bottles, to ‘dispensing fountains’ for fizzy drinks and a return to doorstep milk deliveries.
The report has won praise from War on Plastic presenter Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who this weekend called on shoppers to boycott retailers not doing enough to hit the 50% reduction target.
But, as ever, the reality of removing plastic from supply chains is rather more complicated than campaigners like to let on.
Greenpeace’s report recognises that customers could be resistant to plastic-free initiatives. On loose fruit & veg it says “customers, on the other hand, will need to show a willingness to select loose items for bagging personally”.
However, it fails to acknowledge that customer resistance can prove insurmountable for some plastic reduction measures. Take Iceland, which was forced to abandon a trial to sell loose fruit & veg after experiencing a 30% drop in sales.
Last February, as Iceland launched its new effort to cut plastic by using more cardboard and paper, Richard Walker told us: “You will see trials of loose produce and refills elsewhere that are not scalable, affordable or practical for most people whilst also increasing food waste.”
And then there’s coronavirus, which has derailed existing efforts to ditch plastic. One retailer launched a milk dispenser last year, for example, but was this year forced to provide single-use plastic bottles rather than encouraging customers to refill their own as a precaution against the spread of the virus.
It also had to put pastries and bread rolls back in single-use plastic after bakery sales fell 35% in April.
It’s been three years since David Attenborough issued his rallying cry in the final episode of Blue Planet II, unleashing a wave of consumer concern over plastic waste. But, let’s face it, shoppers don’t always put their money where their mouths are. Especially when they are trying to protect themselves and their families from a potentially deadly virus.
And as we face a global recession, supermarkets simply can’t afford to take steps that might alienate their customer base.
Supermarkets should, of course, prioritise plastic reduction in the coming years. But to succeed, they will also need to educate shoppers. For that, they need support from campaign groups and TV presenters, not the threat of boycotts.
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