Retail giant Tesco has announced that it is to trial a new technology that makes all the plastic packaging it uses recyclable, in collaboration with Recycling Technologies, a recycling specialist.
As part of the trial, Tesco will start collecting previously-unrecyclable plastic in ten of its stores around the Swindon and Bristol areas.
The retailer's customers can return all plastic packaging that usually can't be recycled by local councils to these stores, thereby preventing soft plastics from going to waste.
Commenting on Tesco's move, Paula Chin, sustainable materials specialist at WWF UK, said, “It’s great to see Tesco running this innovative trial, looking for new ways to make it easier for customers to recycle plastic materials which would usually go in their waste bins."
Recycling Process
The recycling process, developed and patented by Recycling Technologies, enables the company to turn waste plastic back into Plaxx, an oil which can then be used in the manufacture of new plastic.
"Using our specialist feedstock recycling process, we keep more plastic waste in the economy and out of landfill and our oceans. This initiative with Tesco is designed to show there are solutions to recover this important material," said Adrian Griffiths, chief executive of Recycling Technologies.
Tesco's move forms part of the company's efforts to tackle the issue of plastic waste, and is a step towards its goal of making 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025.
Sarah Bradbury, director of quality at Tesco, commented, “Reducing and recycling plastics is such an important issue for us, for customers and for the future of our planet.
"Our trial with Recycling Technologies will make even more of our packaging recyclable and help us reach our target."
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Alessandra Arosio. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
