Iceland is adopting a new “plastic free” mark designed by campaigners to make it easier for consumers to make informed choices on sustainable packaging.
The supermarket will begin to put the new Plastic Free Trust Mark, created by environmental campaigners A Plastic Planet, on own brand products this month.
Eggs, cottage pies and veggie burgers are due to be the first Iceland products to get the mark, delivering a claimed 600 tonne per year reduction in plastic use. Iceland soft fruit, mushrooms and potatoes are expected to gain the endorsement by summer.
It comes after Iceland committed in January to eliminating single use plastic packaging on own label ranges by 2023.
“With the grocery retail sector accounting for more than 40% of plastic packaging in the UK, it’s high time Britain’s supermarkets came together to take the lead on this issue,” said Iceland MD Richard Walker.
“I’m proud to lead a supermarket that is working with A Plastic Planet to realise a plastic-free future for food and drink retail.”
The mark, launched today (16 May), is also set to appear on selected own brand products from Dutch supermarket chain Ekoplaza by the end of the year, as well as plastic-free teabags from online retailer Teapigs.
In February, Ekoplaza revealed a plastic-free aisle at a store in Amsterdam.
Accredited packaging will include carton board, wood pulp, glass, metal and certified-compostable biomaterials.
“Now we all know the damage our addiction to plastic has caused, we want to do the right thing and buy plastic free,” said A Plastic Planet co-founder Sian Sutherland. “But it’s harder than you think and a clear no-nonsense label is much needed.
“Our Trust Mark cuts through the confusion of symbols and labels and tells you just one thing - this packaging is plastic free and therefore guilt free. Finally shoppers can be part of the solution, not the problem.”
Ekoplaza CEO Erik Does said: “We are proud to be a showcase for how we can dramatically reduce plastic for our customers. We want it, they want it. Now the customer has the easy choice too.”
Teapigs co-founder Louise Cheadle said: “We’re really pleased to add A Plastic Planet’s Trust Mark to our packaging. A lot of tea drinkers have been surprised to learn that many teabags contain plastic.”
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