Environmental concerns have sparked moves to cut waste on two fronts: more recycling and less packaging, says Glynn Davis
Packaging is a hot topic at the moment. Only last month all the main grocery chains agreed to cut down on unnecessary packaging and it seems that hardly a week goes by without one of the supermarkets announcing another recycling initiative.
So far, the attack has been two-pronged: more recycling of waste packaging and the use of less packaging in the first place. This is an antidote to the past few years, during which the conspicuous consumption of packaging has resulted in a big increase in the levels of waste.
With their signing up to the Courtauld Commitment (led by the Waste & Resources Action Programme), the leading supermarkets have committed themselves to counter this trend. The programme aims to deliver an absolute reduction in packaging waste by 2010.
Martin Hayward, director of consumer strategy and futures at customer insight specialists Dunnhumby, says the issue of waste has been “waiting to explode”. However, he believes it will be legislation that ultimately forces retailers to change their packaging practices, rather than any moral move. Certainly, retailers elsewhere in Europe are under regulatory pressure, with a carrier bag tax now in force in Ireland and the use of cans under the spotlight in Germany.
In the UK, retailer activity has mainly involved back-office recycling, but Hayward says it is time for the front-end to be addressed. And things are starting to happen because local governments have their hands full with quotas of waste that they have to collect from constituents. But he warns that retailers should not take the easy option of merely talking about putting pressure on suppliers to change packaging methods.
Hayward believes that, instead of reacting to legislative pressure, the “first retailer to blink” could benefit greatly by introducing a new way of packaging products.
Packaging design company Pearlfisher, which works with the likes of Waitrose, Absolut and Innocent Drinks, recently held a two-day event on the future of packaging. It looked at the opportunity that online shopping presents for recycling waste packaging and for introducing re-usable containers dedicated to home delivery.
Its findings have been presented to Waitrose, which operates its own home delivery service as well as owning a 33% stake in Ocado. Pearlfisher believes Waitrose is particularly receptive to such thinking.
Mark Paton, senior designer at Pearlfisher, says a quick recycling win is possible if supermarket delivery vans collect recyclable waste. As the van drops off its deliveries and sufficient space becomes available, waste packaging (such as cardboard and bottles) could be collected from the home shopping customers’ previous delivery - along with other recyclable used packaging. This would be complementary to the recycling measures that local governments are introducing.
Pearlfisher also came up with the concept of designing dedicated home delivery packaging. “When you shop online the packaging could have a different form, because the product does not need to attract attention the way it does on a shelf in-store. The purchase decision is different.”
According to Paton, this presents two opportunities. First, plain packaging could be used, which would reduce costs. Second, re-usable containers and packaging could be used for home delivery products. Certain produce could be decanted into more permanent containers after home delivery.
He likens this to the past, when shoppers used to buy provisions in refillable jars, bottles and containers. Although refillable containers have already been used by the likes of The Body Shop and organic home delivery companies such as Abel & Cole at higher price points, it would be a first for a mainstream supermarket to do so.
Such containers would be especially suited to supermarkets’ own-label products and, because of the cost, Pearlfisher thinks they would fit comfortably with premium product lines such as Tesco’s Finest range. “A supermarket could bring out a new online version of a product range that is environment-friendly and positioned at the premium end,” suggests Paton.
He believes consumers are already moving beyond the heavy packaging mindset and are increasingly focusing on less packaging. “It’s right on and environment-friendly. Fairtrade is cool,” he says.
John Rose, marketing director at Tetra Pak UK, concurs. “People are responding more - both consumers and manufacturers. Our customers increasingly want the complete environment-friendly product - first the ingredients and then the packaging.”
The carton, made from about 75 per cent renewable resources and cost efficient, has become a focus for companies looking to take a less wasteful route. In order to compete, Rose says, Tetra Pak has had to develop the functionality of the carton, for example, by adding screw tops.
However, cost remains a priority. While a few consumers would be prepared to pay a premium for a product with recyclable packaging, Rose believes the mainstream would not be willing to do so. But if the price/quality criteria are met, he says, many consumers, and possibly retailers, may be willing to shift product choices based on environment concerns. However, ultimately, he believes, legislation and local government activity will drive the change.
Packaging is a hot topic at the moment. Only last month all the main grocery chains agreed to cut down on unnecessary packaging and it seems that hardly a week goes by without one of the supermarkets announcing another recycling initiative.
So far, the attack has been two-pronged: more recycling of waste packaging and the use of less packaging in the first place. This is an antidote to the past few years, during which the conspicuous consumption of packaging has resulted in a big increase in the levels of waste.
With their signing up to the Courtauld Commitment (led by the Waste & Resources Action Programme), the leading supermarkets have committed themselves to counter this trend. The programme aims to deliver an absolute reduction in packaging waste by 2010.
Martin Hayward, director of consumer strategy and futures at customer insight specialists Dunnhumby, says the issue of waste has been “waiting to explode”. However, he believes it will be legislation that ultimately forces retailers to change their packaging practices, rather than any moral move. Certainly, retailers elsewhere in Europe are under regulatory pressure, with a carrier bag tax now in force in Ireland and the use of cans under the spotlight in Germany.
In the UK, retailer activity has mainly involved back-office recycling, but Hayward says it is time for the front-end to be addressed. And things are starting to happen because local governments have their hands full with quotas of waste that they have to collect from constituents. But he warns that retailers should not take the easy option of merely talking about putting pressure on suppliers to change packaging methods.
Hayward believes that, instead of reacting to legislative pressure, the “first retailer to blink” could benefit greatly by introducing a new way of packaging products.
Packaging design company Pearlfisher, which works with the likes of Waitrose, Absolut and Innocent Drinks, recently held a two-day event on the future of packaging. It looked at the opportunity that online shopping presents for recycling waste packaging and for introducing re-usable containers dedicated to home delivery.
Its findings have been presented to Waitrose, which operates its own home delivery service as well as owning a 33% stake in Ocado. Pearlfisher believes Waitrose is particularly receptive to such thinking.
Mark Paton, senior designer at Pearlfisher, says a quick recycling win is possible if supermarket delivery vans collect recyclable waste. As the van drops off its deliveries and sufficient space becomes available, waste packaging (such as cardboard and bottles) could be collected from the home shopping customers’ previous delivery - along with other recyclable used packaging. This would be complementary to the recycling measures that local governments are introducing.
Pearlfisher also came up with the concept of designing dedicated home delivery packaging. “When you shop online the packaging could have a different form, because the product does not need to attract attention the way it does on a shelf in-store. The purchase decision is different.”
According to Paton, this presents two opportunities. First, plain packaging could be used, which would reduce costs. Second, re-usable containers and packaging could be used for home delivery products. Certain produce could be decanted into more permanent containers after home delivery.
He likens this to the past, when shoppers used to buy provisions in refillable jars, bottles and containers. Although refillable containers have already been used by the likes of The Body Shop and organic home delivery companies such as Abel & Cole at higher price points, it would be a first for a mainstream supermarket to do so.
Such containers would be especially suited to supermarkets’ own-label products and, because of the cost, Pearlfisher thinks they would fit comfortably with premium product lines such as Tesco’s Finest range. “A supermarket could bring out a new online version of a product range that is environment-friendly and positioned at the premium end,” suggests Paton.
He believes consumers are already moving beyond the heavy packaging mindset and are increasingly focusing on less packaging. “It’s right on and environment-friendly. Fairtrade is cool,” he says.
John Rose, marketing director at Tetra Pak UK, concurs. “People are responding more - both consumers and manufacturers. Our customers increasingly want the complete environment-friendly product - first the ingredients and then the packaging.”
The carton, made from about 75 per cent renewable resources and cost efficient, has become a focus for companies looking to take a less wasteful route. In order to compete, Rose says, Tetra Pak has had to develop the functionality of the carton, for example, by adding screw tops.
However, cost remains a priority. While a few consumers would be prepared to pay a premium for a product with recyclable packaging, Rose believes the mainstream would not be willing to do so. But if the price/quality criteria are met, he says, many consumers, and possibly retailers, may be willing to shift product choices based on environment concerns. However, ultimately, he believes, legislation and local government activity will drive the change.
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