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Highlights:
- Tesco and Sainsbury’s were criticised for misleading customers about the fate of plastics collected through their in-store recycling schemes.
- 70% of soft plastics collected were found to be burned for energy, with some waste ending up overseas.
- Waitrose announced a trial cork recycling scheme, marking the first such initiative by a major UK supermarket.
Tesco PLC (LSE:TSCO) and J Sainsbury PLC (LSE:SBRY) have come under scrutiny for misleading customers about their in-store plastic recycling schemes. A study conducted by Everyday Plastic and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) found that the majority of soft plastics collected in supermarket recycling stations ended up being incinerated, rather than recycled as promised.
The investigation tracked 40 loads of soft plastic waste, such as single-use bags and films, using Apple tracking devices. The study revealed that 70% of the waste sent to known destinations was burned for energy rather than recycled, with some of the waste even ending up overseas. A small portion of the waste was repurposed into fuel pellets or downcycled into lower-value plastic products, but only one instance of recycling occurred within the UK. Collectively, the waste traveled over 25,000 kilometers.
Everyday Plastic’s research director, Alison Colclough, said that while the supermarkets' schemes were presented as a solution, they distracted from the larger issue of excessive plastic packaging production. EIA ocean campaigner Lauren Weir added that the UK’s inability to effectively process its own waste should not place the burden on other countries.
Sainsbury’s responded by stating that damaged plastics may need to be converted into energy, but claimed that the “majority” of plastics in good condition are recycled. Tesco reiterated its commitment to reducing and recycling packaging where possible, including using waste for fuel when necessary.
The study, supported by legal analysis from ClientEarth, argued that the information provided by the supermarkets around these recycling schemes was "misleading." In a separate development, Waitrose announced a new initiative to trial cork recycling in its stores, marking a first for a major UK supermarket.
