UK-Based Market Co-Op To Ban All Non-Recyclable Plastics

UK-Based Market Co-Op To Ban All Non-Recyclable Plastics

Thomas Nelson
February 11, 2020
News, Sustainable Living
0 Comments

Here’s a sad fact: every piece of plastic ever made still exists somewhere. If it winds up in the environment, like in our oceans, it can create havoc and death for unsuspecting wildlife. But now, UK-based market Co-op plans to ban plastics that can’t be recycled.

It takes 1,000 years for plastic to break down. Some take even longer. In recent years, a stirring revolution against wasteful, single-use plastics has taken root globally. But still, worldwide, humans produce 150 million tons of single-use plastic each year.

Individuals, companies, and entire countries have begun the process of pushing back on single-use plastics. Co-op, a UK based supermarket, is adding its voice to the call for an end to these plastics.

Co-op to ban plastics next summer

Starting in summer of 2020, Co-op has announced it will phase out all non-recyclable plastic packaging from its stores. Whether its packets of crisps or plastic wraps around sandwiches, if it can’t be recycled, it won’t be sold in store.

Thin film plastics are rarely collected in curbside recycling programs in the United Kingdom, and Co-op alone says it uses more than three quarters of a billion pieces of plastic film every year. So Co-op is pushing back and creating its own collection program for plastic films.

“Going forward, ethical consumerism will continue to play a pivotal role in the pursuit of more sustainable products, businesses and markets,” says Jo Whitfield, Co-op Food’s CEO. “However, now is not the time to rest on our laurels, it’s the time double down on our efforts”

“That’s why we’ve brought forward our commitment on own-brand recyclable plastic by three years, why we’re committed to reducing unnecessary packaging and why our long term vision is to be a carbon neutral business.

“Black plastic is [now] banned and by the summer we’ll have pioneered a UK-wide recycling scheme for hard-to-recycle plastic film.”

Co-op, with their decision to ban plastics that can’t be recycled, is positioning itself as a leader in the fight for a post-plastic world. With any luck, other retailers will follow their lead.