UK retailer Marks & Spencer is cutting the amount of packaging used for its snack products, such as crisps and popcorn, by reducing the pocket of air at the top of the bag.
The Guardian reports that over 140 of Marks & Spencer's products have been redesigned and will now be packaged in smaller bags that use less plastic.
The retailer's popcorn packaging has been reduced by 37%, but will still contain the same amount of food as before. Similarly, its hand-cooked crisp range will have 20% less packaging, using a thinner but still-strong plastic film.
"We’ve been working on this project for over a year and are really pleased with the results,” said Marks & Spencer packaging expert, Laura Fernandez. “We see this as the start of a much bigger piece of work and hope to bring equally impressive savings to other areas of the business, too.”
Plan A
This development is part of Marks & Spencer's sustainability programme, Plan A, which aims to convert the retailer into a zero-waste business over the next eight years.
It aims for all packaging to be widely recyclable by 2022, with all raw materials coming from sustainable sources. The company also plans to halve food waste by 2025.
Last month, the retailer introduced laser-labelling for avocados to reduce paper waste in its stores, adding that this new method could be introduced to other products in the future.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
