John West has launched Ecotwist packaging to make products easier than ever to “enjoy and recycle”.
The tuna giant has eliminated excess packaging from its range so it now includes no shrink wrap or cardboard, just an aluminium strip, called a SmartStrip, that keeps can towers together.
The brand has spent three years developing the packaging to “reduce packaging waste in our consumers’ lives and to make our quality products taste and look even better”.
The packaging solution saves 65 tonnes of plastic shrink wrap or around 300 tonnes of cardboard equivalent annually.
“John West’s SmartStrip has been independently verified as fully recyclable, so consumers can recycle the cans in one piece through the UK kerbside recycling network,” said Chris Shearlock, European sustainability director at parent company, Thai Union.
The team redesigned the can, ensuring it holds the same amount of tuna but saving over 400 tonnes of steel annually.
The smaller, lighter can also reduces the amount of other contents in the product such as the sunflower oil, spring water or brine. This will save an additional 1,500 tonnes of ingredients that consumers typically discard.
This will help the company meet its sustainability targets, including a goal to move all product into sustainable packaging by the end of next year.
“It’s the ultimate faff-free solution to busy lives – storing and opening the cans is so easy, and thanks to no excess packaging, recycling has never been easier, saving our consumers time to enjoy our healthy and nutritious products,” said Mark Doherty, managing director at John West Foods.
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