Mercadona has introduced new recyclable bottles made from 100% recycled plastic for freshly squeezed juices in Portugal.
Currently, the bottles are used in the fruit and vegetables section for packing freshly squeezed orange juice.
The move will help the company eliminate 700 tonnes of virgin plastic from its operations annually.
The new bottles are available in three capacities - 1 litre, 500 millilitres, and 250 millilitres - and have a pictogram indicating where consumers are to deposit the bottles for recycling.
'Strategy 6.25'
The retailer plans to invest over €140 million in 'Strategy 6.25', which has the triple goal of reducing plastic use by 25% by 2025, making all plastic packaging recyclable, and recycling all plastic waste generated at its facilities.
The strategy in achieving these goals involves changes in different company processes, ranging from redesigning the packaging of the future in coordination with suppliers to adapting stores and logistics, as well as waste management.
Mercadona is developing different strategies for reducing plastic use in its packaging, such as replacing it with other materials, reducing or incorporating recycled material to reduce the use of virgin materials.
Initiatives
As of November 2020, the retailer modified and upgraded 72 stores to meet the requirements of Strategy 6.25.
The company also plans to train 90,000 employees in Spain and Portugal to enable better implementation of its plastic reduction goals.
In January of last year, Mercadona eliminated single-use plastic bags across all stores. It now offers compostable bags, made of potato starch, which must be disposed in the organic waste container.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
