On World Ocean Day, Portuguese retailer Pingo Doce introduced a dishwashing detergent packed in a material that uses plastics from the ocean.
The packaging of ‘Detergente Concentrado Oceano Ultra Pro’ comprises 11% marine plastic and 89% recycled plastic.
Pingo Doce has manufactured around 300,000 bottles for this product using more than 7,500 kilograms of recycled plastic.
Out of the 7,500 kilograms of recycled plastic, around 825 kilograms was sourced from seas and oceans.
It was collected by the non-profit organisation Waste Free Oceans (WFO) through partnerships with fishermen.
Circular Economy
According to the director of efficiency and environmental innovation at Pingo Doce, Fernando Ventura, the detergent bottle was designed to be 100% recyclable, facilitating its transformation into new materials after use.
The process involved in manufacturing the bottles promotes a circular economy in packaging by allowing plastic recovery and recycling.
The move is a part of a series of initiatives implemented by the Portuguese supermarket chain for environmental preservation, and seeks to reduce plastic pollution in the seas and oceans.
The retailer's ecodesign packaging project, launched in 2011, has reduced the use of 15,000 tonnes of packaging materials comprising cardboard, plastic, and glass.
It also resulted in cutting transport-related CO2 emissions by 2,800 tonnes.
© 2019 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.
