Call for action on reusable packaging and food waste

CAMPAIGNERS and businesses are calling for the widespread adoption of reusable packaging as well as action to cut food waste across the grocery sector.

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Reuse experts on Tuesday released research which suggests that adopting reusable packaging for 30% of goods in the UK grocery retail sector could deliver £136 million in annual savings for producers.

The packaging extended producer responsibility regulations (Perp), which came into force in January, require producers to pay for the management of packaging waste.

The report, commissioned by sustainability consultants GoUn-packed, found that producers could save between £314m and £577m annually in overall system costs compared to single-use packaging, accounting for the costs of transitioning.

It also suggests that shifting to reuse packaging could reduce both the products’ carbon emissions and the waste from packaging materials previously used by 95%.