Iceland has reduced its overall plastics packaging usage by 29%, the equivalent of 3,794 tonnes, two years on from its pledge to remove plastics from all own-label product packaging by the end of 2023.
Richard Walker, managing director at Iceland, said: “The scale of the challenge we have taken on is huge, partly because of the lack of alternative solutions in some instances, the infrastructure in the manufacturing industry which in many cases is built around plastic usage, and of course the fact that we are the only retailer to have made a ‘totality’ commitment.
“Whilst we have seen a promising shift away from plastic usage across the industry and a significant increase in consumer awareness of the issue since the beginning of 2018, we remain the only retailer to have made this pledge. We’re now looking ahead to the next phase of our journey, whilst continuing to engage our customers by finding scalable and user-friendly solutions, truly democratising choice to make sustainable packaging options an affordable reality for everyone.”
Iceland has engaged almost 100 own-label suppliers to establish working groups and set out frameworks for plastic removal, with a redevelopment plan set out for each and every line. The retailer has collaborated with operations colleagues and conducted research with customers to ensure that solutions developed are fit for purpose.