Asda will challenge big-name brands to follow its lead by slashing packaging by up to a third this autumn.
Following a drive to cut own-label packaging by 25%, which resulted in a saving of £10m, chief merchandising officer Darren Blackhurst said he would be asking brand owners to follow suit at Asda’s supplier conference later this year.
“I think there has got to be a call to arms with branded suppliers,” he told The Grocer. “We’ve got our own house in order, although we’ve got more work to do. But the big challenge I’m going to be setting is that our branded supply base needs to start thinking about this more seriously.”
Blackhurst said Asda’s own-label packaging reduction had saved around 50,000 tonnes of plastic and cardboard and he wanted to see brands making similar savings.
“Looking after the environment should not cost more,” he said.
Blackhurst acknowledged there could be resistance among suppliers but said Asda would ensure suppliers that engaged with the process would not lose out.
“Suppliers normally like products to be big because it optimises exposure on the shelf,” he said. “That is the biggest challenge because they will fear they are going to lose space.
“But what I want to do is set the challenge but also provide help so we can make sure they don’t lose any exposure in the shop, because a merchandisable unit or a pallet can still make a huge impact even though the individual product might have shrunk slightly.”
Some brands have already made major progress cutting packaging, with Nestlé reducing Easter egg packaging this year on 20 million products by 30%, saving an estimated 700 tonnes of waste.
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