Speaking exclusively to Packaging News at the third European Bioeconomy Stakeholders’ Conference, Quentin Clark, head of sustainability and ethical sourcing at Waitrose, said the high-end grocery retailer wanted consumers and local councils to accept that weight of packaging is not necessarily as important as the recyclability of packs.
“Both things are not always exactly the same. So it is conceivable that you would actually have an increase in packaging waste but is much more kerbside recyclable to the customer. Our ultimate goal is that we will make it as easy as possible for consumers to recycle the least amount of packaging.”
He added that the diversity of local authority approaches to recycling makes it challenging, and urged more focus on separation of recycling waste.
“It is about raising the baseline for what is the standard for recyclability so therefore encouraging higher levels of potentially recycled goods actually being recycled. Currently we are generating packaging which is completely recyclable but may or may not be recycled depending on the local authority’s policies and the habits of consumers.”
He added that Waitrose’s goal is to reduce waste but primarily increase the amount that people are going to recycle “eagerly”.
“People want to recycle; the question is how can we make it easier for them to recycle?”
