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Print articleThe announcement from WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) means that 25 major grocery organisations have joined the Courtauld Commitment since it was launched in July 2005. The new signatories demonstrate the agreement's growing impetus in the bid to reduce UK packaging waste. The Courtauld Commitment's target is to reduce the 6.3 million tonnes of packaging reaching UK homes each year by at least 340,000 tonnes by 2010.
The new signatories, with a total annual turnover in excess of ?9 billion, are: Britvic, Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, Dairy Crest, Duchy Originals, Mars UK, McBride, Nestl? UK and Premier Foods.
These new manufacturing signatories have joined all the major supermarket retailers, along with HJ Heinz, Unilever and Northern Foods, who joined last year. The combined effort of manufacturers and retailers is likely to accelerate the impact of the agreement.
Liz Goodwin, chief executive of WRAP, said:
?This announcement is good news for the consumer and the environment. In addition to the obvious environmental benefits that reduced packaging waste brings, consumers will have less packaging to carry home from the supermarket and more space in their bins. Packaging reduction also delivers cost savings to business.
?With the addition of these new signatories, the Courtauld Commitment is an even more powerful vehicle for change, resulting in real reductions in packaging waste.?
Britvic's chief executive, Paul Moody, said:
?WRAP's objectives clearly align with Britvic's packaging innovation strategy. Consumers are looking for more and more ways to reduce waste going to landfill and this is an important issue for us as a manufacturer ? allowing us to make a difference.?
Alex Cole, Cadbury Schweppes' Corporate Responsibility Director, said:
?We are committed to using 100% recoverable or biodegradable packaging by 2010. We are also committed to ensuring 100% of our secondary packaging is recyclable.
?Innovation in seasonal and gifting packaging is a key focus. Our 2007 Cadbury Buttons Easter Chick is a great example of this, using a mere 3.6% of the original packaging combined with innovative stacking has reduced materials and distribution impact as well as costs. Plans for Easter 2008 will result in 30% reduction in use of plastics and cardboard.
Liz Goodwin added:
?Another key aim for Courtauld is addressing the issue of household food waste. We throw away about 6.7 million tonnes of food each year ? that's one third of all the food we buy ? and at least half of this could have been eaten. The involvement of the manufacturers provides us with an early opportunity to find solutions to this problem. In the coming months we will be launching a national consumer campaign to raise awareness of the food waste issue.?
In addition to the announcement of new signatories, a new method for measuring packaging waste reduction for Courtauld Commitment signatories is being introduced. This will give consistent reporting on packaging reduction and allow signatories to track their collective impact.
Under the Courtauld Commitment, WRAP works in partnership to develop innovative packaging materials, formats and technologies across the whole supply chain. These solutions may include lightweighting or ?de-layering? packaging (i.e. cutting back on multiple layers or materials), increasing the amount of recycled content and introducing more recyclable packaging.
