war on waste food packaging study: wave 3

Transcription

1 war on waste food packaging study: wave 3

2 War on Waste 3 Prepared for: Local Government Association Prepared by: Angela Charlton, Claire Bassett, Eleni Romanou BMRB Social Telephone: Claire.bassett@bmrb.co.uk Part of BMRB Limited (British Market Research Bureau) BMRB/CB/

3 BMRB is ISO9001:2000 and ISO accredited. Printed on 100% recycled paper BMRB is also a member of the London Remade environment scheme and is working with the Woodland Trust to offset the paper used in the course of our business.

4 Table of Contents Executive Summary... i 1 Introduction... ii 1.1 Research Background...ii 1.2 Research objectives and method...iv 1.3 Structure of report...vi 2 Asda Data Shopping basket from ASDA Total waste produced by ASDA Rubbish produced by ASDA Recyclable waste produced by ASDA CO-OP Data Shopping basket from Co-op Total waste produced by Co-op Rubbish produced by Co-op Recyclable waste produced by Co-op Lidl Data Shopping basket from Lidl Total waste produced by Lidl Rubbish produced by Lidl Recyclable waste produced by Lidl Marks and Spencer Data Shopping basket from Marks and Spencer Total waste produced by Marks and Spencer Rubbish produced by Marks and Spencer Recyclable waste produced by Marks and Spencer Morrisons Data Shopping basket from Morrisons Total waste produced by Morrisons Rubbish produced by Morrisons Recyclable waste produced by Morrisons Sainsbury s Data Shopping basket from Sainsburys Total waste produced by Sainsburys Rubbish produced by Sainsburys Recyclable waste produced by Sainsburys Tesco Data Shopping basket from Tesco Total waste produced by Tesco Rubbish produced by Tesco Recyclable waste produced by Tesco Waitrose Data Shopping basket from Waitrose Total waste produced by Waitrose Rubbish produced by Waitrose Recyclable waste produced by Waitrose Indexing Overall Analysis Conclusions and recommendations Appendix Copyright: survey findings and deliverables are normally intended for use within the Client's organisation or its consultants and other associate organisations such as advertising agencies. Should the Client intend wider circulation of the survey findings and deliverables, the Client should inform BMRB prior to such disclosure and agree the form and content with BMRB. The client should acknowledge BMRB as the source of the information with wording acceptable to BMRB.

5 Executive Summary Each year the UK generates about 25 million tonnes of waste from households, a large proportion of which ends up in landfill. Britain dumps more household waste into landfill than most other countries in the European Union (around two-thirds of its municipal waste goes to landfill; only Portugal and Greece put more there). The objective of this research is to inform the Local Government Association s War on Waste campaign, which seeks to address the amount of rubbish produced and the way in which it is thrown away. This study will monitor food packaging levels in terms of amount of packaging and composition of that packaging (for example, whether the packaging is recyclable). This report describes the findings of the third wave of the survey. A range of common food items (29 items), representing a regular shopping basket were purchased from eight retailers (ASDA, Co-op, Lidl, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury s, Tesco and Waitrose). The addition of the Co-op and Waitrose in this third wave of the research replaced the high street and the Market in previous waves. As at previous waves analysis involved recording the total weight of the product and recording the total weight of the packaging. The component parts of the packaging were weighed separately to measure the proportion of packaging that was recyclable or rubbish. In addition to this any information about the packaging given on the labels was noted. Photographs of the shopping baskets were taken before analysis and of the piles of waste created. The total weight of packaging per basket ranged from grams to grams with an average weight of grams. The proportion of waste that was recyclable ranged from 57.83% to 66.81% with an average of 63.27%. The Co-op provided the most information about what packaging was made from, with symbols on 16 of the 29 items. Marks and Spencer had most items labelled as having recycled content in their packaging; four of the 29 items were in wrapping labelled as being made from recycled materials. Marks and Spencer provided the most information about whether packaging was recyclable clearly stating this on 18 of the 29 items, although the Co-op used the mobius loop or recyclable steel symbol on 17 items. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 i

6 1 Introduction 1.1 Research Background Each year the UK generates about 25 million tonnes of waste from households 1, a large proportion of which ends up in landfill. Britain dumps more household waste into landfill than most other countries in the European Union (around two-thirds of its municipal waste goes to landfill; only Portugal and Greece put more there 2 ). By reducing landfill and increasing the amount of waste that is recycled, composted or has energy recovered in some way, there is considerable scope for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the waste we produce 3. The Defra Waste Strategy for England 2007 proposes a vision of shared responsibility between producers (to use more recycled materials and to design less wasteful products), retailers (to reduce packaging and to source and market products that are less wasteful) consumers (to generate less waste and separate products for recycling) local authorities (to provide recycling facilities for their residents) and the waste management industry (to invest in facilities to recycle and recover waste). One of the two sectors identified in the Waste Strategy as a priority for further action was the food and retail sector. This report focuses on waste from the food and retail sector and, in particular, food packaging. The Waste Framework Directive (WFD) currently defines waste as any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard. Waste from packaging of household goods is estimated to be around 5 million tonnes per annum 4 and is predicted to continue to rise. Although some reduction in the weight of individual items of packaging has been achieved since 1998 through the implementation of a Packaging Directive, there is still a problem of excessive packaging around many products. Despite improvements in levels of recovery 1 Municipal Waste Management Statistics 2007/08, Statistical Release 452/08 from the Defra website on 11 February 2009, 2 Key Facts about Waste and Recycling: Municipal Waste Management in the European Union 2003 from Defra website on 11 February 2009, 3 Defra Waste Strategy for England 2007 from website on 11 February 2009, 4 Key Facts about Waste and Recycling: Recycling and Recovery from Packaging , England from Defra website on 11 February 2009, BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 ii

7 and recycling of packaging waste in recent years there is still a significant amount (around 40 per cent 5 ) of packaging waste that is not recycled or recovered. Packaging makes up almost one fifth of all household waste and it is estimated that around five million tonnes of annual household rubbish come from packaging 6. Whilst packaging is often in place to contain and protect goods from damage, to prolong shelf-life, offer convenience or easy use, allow efficient transport distribution, inform the consumer and help to promote goods, it also has the potential for creating large amounts of waste. Research by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) suggests that consumers are becoming more aware of the packaging around the products they buy but at the same time they are attracted by luxurious packaging and often choose packaged goods over loose. 7 Although domestic recycling rates are on the increase, from 5.8 million tonnes in 2004/05 to nearly 8.7 million tonnes in 2007/08 8 even recyclable packaging still needs processing and in an ideal situation, there would be less packaging to recycle or dispose of in the first instance. As part of the implementation of the Waste Strategy for England 2007, the Government intends to amend producer responsibility regulations in order to minimise packaging, including setting optimal packaging standards for a product class. A number of retailers have signed up to the Courtald Commitment to reduce household food and packaging waste, informing customers about packaging on their labels (e.g. whether or not materials can be recycled or composted, or whether they are biodegradable). 5 Key Facts about Waste and Recycling: Recycling and Recovery from Packaging , England from Defra website on 11 February 2009, 6 Tougher laws and serious fines are needed to crackdown on excessive packaging Local Government Association, LGA News Release on 27 April 2007, from LGA website on 11 February 2009, 7 Consumer attitudes to packaging from the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment website on 11 February 2009, 8 Municipal Waste Management Statistics 2007/08, Statistical Release 352/08 from the Defra website on 11 February 2009, BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 iii

8 1.2 Research objectives and method The objective of this research project is to inform the Local Government Association s War on Waste campaign, which seeks to address the amount of rubbish produced and the way in which it is thrown away. This study monitors food packaging levels in terms of amount of packaging and composition of that packaging (for example, whether the packaging is recyclable). This report describes the third wave of the study. A range of common food items (29 items), representing a regular shopping basket were purchased from eight retailers (ASDA, Co-op, Lidl, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury s, Tesco and Waitrose). These were purchased by four interviewers from across England (Birmingham, Surrey, Essex and Bury) and couriered to the research team overnight for analysis the following day. Analysis involved recording the total weight of the product and the total weight of the packaging. The component parts of the packaging were weighed separately to measure the proportion of packaging that was recyclable or rubbish 9. For the purposes of this study packaging was defined as either RECYCLABLE i.e. any material for which recycling facilities are commonly available (e.g. glass, tins, paper, card, plastic bottles 10 and Tetra Pak cartons 11 ), or RUBBISH i.e. would have to be thrown into the household bin, ending up in landfill. All paper and card was considered to be potentially recyclable, although in practice if it is contaminated with food it would become rubbish. It was noted at this wave that many stores now provide information on their packaging about whether items are widely recyclable or recyclable in some areas using either the recycle icon or text on their packaging. Widely means 65% of people have access to recycling facilities for these items, Check 9 Salter electronic kitchen scales (model 1022) with a maximum weight of 3 kilograms measured in 1 gram intervals, and Tanita digital scales (model 1210N) with a range up to 20 grams in gram intervals were used for analysis. 10 bottles were considered to be widely recyclable, since WRAP s Annual Local Authorities s Collection Survey 2008 showed that, of the UK's 471 local authorities, 92% now offer recycling collection facilities for plastic bottles, ranging from one or two bring sites through to comprehensive kerbside coverage. In fact, 57% of all UK homes have kerbside recycling collections that include plastic bottles. ics_collection.html on 11 February Tetra Pak cartons can be recycled in over eight out of ten local authority areas, either through kerbside collections or bring sites, as noted on the Tetra Pak website at on 11 February BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 iv

9 locally means 15% - 65% of people have access to recycling facilities for these items and Not recycled means less than 15% of people have access to recycling facilities for these items 12. For consistency with previous waves this information was not used to categorise the packaging in this report, but information, where provided on the food items, is detailed in the data tables throughout the report. Information about what the packaging was made from was also recorded at this wave. This information has been added in an additional column in the data tables. As at previous waves photographs of the shopping baskets were taken before analysis and of the piles of waste created 13. For consistency interviewers were instructed to purchase all fruit and vegetables loose where possible, and to only buy pre-packaged goods if the item was not otherwise available. For meat products, pre-packaged goods were requested, as not all retailers have delicatessen facilities, so this precaution was taken as a control to ensure a similar packaging type was purchased from each retailer for fair comparison. A recommended weight or quantity for each item was also specified for each item for controlled comparison of packaging weights. The shopping list can be found in the appendix. Shoppers were asked to purchase own brand goods where possible, and to choose the cheapest own brand item available, although other brands were acceptable if the item was not otherwise available. If an item from the shopping list was not available in a particular retailer an average score based on results from other retailers was calculated in order to prevent bias to the total weight of packaging for that retailer. Given the variation in the size of the products available across all retailers, the data has also been analysed based on an index of 100g of each product (details in chapter 10). This report is intended as a snapshot of the current levels of packaging on common food items and in many cases it is not strictly comparable with previous waves due to the variation in items purchased. 12 Recycling symbols explained from the Recycle Now website on 11 February The photographs were taken digitally with a Fujifilm S2 Pro camera using natural light. The captured picture resolution was six million pixels creating files of two to three mega-bytes per image. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 v

10 1.3 Structure of report Prior to this introduction is an executive summary of the findings. The main body of the report provides a commentary on the results from each retailer, illustrated by summary tables of the data and photographs taken during analysis. A summary chapter and conclusions and recommendations follow. In charts and tables - denotes 0 and * denotes a measurement of less than half of one, but more than 0. All weights are shown to the nearest 0.5 grams unless otherwise stated. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 vi

11 2 Asda 2.1 Data ASDA PACKAGING TOTAL RECYCLABLE RUBBISH Weight Weight % of Weight % of (g) (g) total (g) total Avocadoes * - - * 100.0% Information on packaging Sticky label on each Potatoes % bag Bananas * - - * 100.0% Sticky label Broccoli None Tomatoes % film Cucumber % Shrink wrap Grapes % bag Mushrooms None Peppers None Strawberries % Tray box & lid Bubble wrap Sausages % packet Minced beef % Chicken breasts % Lamb chops % Salmon % tray & film, tray & film, tray film tray film Recyclable Recyclable Not currently recycled Check local recycling Not currently recycled BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 1

12 Milk % % Sunflower spread % bottle & lid tub & lid & wax paper Stilton % Shrink Eggs % - - Pizza % wrap Card board box Polystyrene base, shrink wrap, plastic bag Sugar % - - Paper bag Raisins % Multi-pack crisps % packet bag & 14 foil bags Cookies % Cornflakes % % packet Card board box & plastic bag Loaf bread % bag Baked Beans % - - Tin & Lid Tea % % Jam % % Card board box & plastic film Glass jar & metal lid Widely recycled Asda clearly stated whether packaging was recyclable (in words) on five of the 29 items; and used the mobius loop on six items. Five items showed what the packaging was made from. None of the packaging was labelled as made from recycled materials. The total weight of packaging from Asda was 695g. 415g was recyclable (59.71%) and 280g was rubbish. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 2

13 2.2 Shopping basket from ASDA 2.3 Total waste produced by ASDA BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 3

14 2.4 Rubbish produced by ASDA 2.5 Recyclable waste produced by ASDA BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 4

15 3 CO-OP 3.1 Data CO-OP PACKAGING Information on TOTAL RECYCLABLE RUBBISH packaging Weight (g) Weight (g) % of total Weight (g) % of total Avocadoes * - - * 100.0% N/A - average Potatoes None Bananas * - - * 100.0% Sticky label Broccoli % Shrink wrap Tray Tomatoes % Cucumber None film Grapes % ziplock bag Mushrooms None Peppers None Tub & lid Strawberries Sausages % % 65.4% Bubble wrap Tray Card sleeve film Recyclable Minced beef % Chicken breasts % % Lamb chops % Salmon % Tray, & film Tray Film Card sleeve tray & film Tray film BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 5

16 Milk % % bottle & lid Sunflower spread Stilton % tub & lid % % Board PET Tray Sleeve Eggs % - - Cardboard box Pizza % % Board film Box Sugar % bag Raisins % bag Multi-pack crisps % Outer bag 14 individual bags Cookies % packet Cornflakes % % Cardboard box bag Loaf bread % bag Tag seal Baked Beans % - - Recyclable Steel Tea % % Board Cardboard box film Jam % % Glass jar and metal lid Take to bottle bank Co-op clearly stated whether packaging was recyclable (in words) on two of the 28 items; and used the mobius loop or recyclable steel symbol on seventeen items. 16 items showed what the packaging was made from. None of the packaging was labelled as made from recycled materials. The total weight of packaging from Co-op was 761g g was recyclable (65.64%) and 261.5g was rubbish. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 6

17 3.2 Shopping basket from Co-op 3.3 Total waste produced by Co-op BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 7

18 3.4 Rubbish produced by Co-op 3.5 Recyclable waste produced by Co-op BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 8

19 4 Lidl 4.1 Data LIDL PACKAGING Information on TOTAL RECYCLABLE RUBBISH packaging Weight (g) Weight (g) % of total Weight (g) % of total Avocadoes None Potatoes None Bananas * - - * 100.0% Broccoli % Tomatoes % Sticky label Sticky label & cling film Tray & Lid Cucumber % Shrink Grapes % Mushrooms % wrap bag tray & cling film Peppers % packet Strawberries % tray & lid Bubble Wrap Sausages % Minced beef % Chicken breasts % Lamb chops % Salmon % N/A Average packet tray & film Tray film Tray film BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 9

20 Milk % % Sunflower spread % Stilton % Eggs % - - Pizza % Bottle & lid tub & lid, Foil seal tray & cover Card board box packet Sugar % - - Paper bag Raisins % Multi-pack crisps % bag Outer & 12 foil bags Cookies % packet Card Cornflakes % % board box bag Loaf bread % Baked Beans % bag Can Tea % % Jam % % 97 Card board box Foil bag Glass jar Lid Lidl did not clearly state whether packaging was recyclable (in words) on any of the 28 items; but used the mobius loop on ten items. Seven items showed what the packaging was made from. Two items of the packaging were labelled as made from recycled materials. The total weight of packaging from Lidl was 782.5g g was recyclable (57.83%) and 330g was rubbish. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 10

21 4.2 Shopping basket from Lidl 4.3 Total waste produced by Lidl BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 11

22 4.4 Rubbish produced by Lidl 4.5 Recyclable waste produced by Lidl BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 12

23 5 Marks and Spencer 5.1 Data M & S PACKAGING Information on TOTAL RECYCLABLE RUBBISH Weight Weight % of Weight % of packaging (g) (g) total (g) total Avocadoes * - - * 100.0% Sticky labels Potatoes * - - * 100.0% Sticky labels Bananas None Broccoli None Tomatoes % bag Cucumber % Shrink wrap Grapes None Mushrooms % tray & film Peppers * - - * 100.0% Sticky labels Strawberries tray & lid, % Sausages Minced beef Chicken breasts Lamb chops % % % % Bubble wrap packet tray film tray & film tray film Salmon % tray & film Not Currently Not Currently Not Currently Not Currently Check Local Recycling Not Currently BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 13

24 Milk % % bottle Lid Widely Sunflower spread Stilton Eggs Pizza % % % % recycled paper tub Lid Foil Seal Shrink wrap Cardboard box Base Check Local Recycling Check Local Recycling Check Local Recycling Not Currently Check Local Recycling Check Local Recycling % Shrink wrap Not Currently Sugar % - - Wax paper Check Local Raisins % Multi-pack crisps % Cookies Cornflakes % % % 50% recycled plastic 50% recycled paper bag outer bag & 6 individual bags Tray packet Cardboard Box bag Recycling Not Currently Not Currently Not Currently Not Currently Widely Not Currently Loaf bread % bag Check Local Baked Beans Tea Jam % - - Recyclable steel can & lid Cardboard box Recycling Widely Widely % % Foil bags Not Currently % % 20% recycled glass Jar Metal Lid Check Local Recycling Check Local Recycling Marks and Spencer clearly stated whether packaging was recyclable (in words) on 18 of the 29 items; and used the mobius loop or recyclable steel symbol on three items. Eight items showed what the packaging was made from. Four items of packaging were labelled as made from recycled materials. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 14

25 The total weight of packaging from Marks and Spencer was 671g. 440g was recyclable (65.57%) and 231g was rubbish. 5.2 Shopping basket from Marks and Spencer BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 15

26 5.3 Total waste produced by Marks and Spencer 5.4 Rubbish produced by Marks and Spencer BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 16

27 5.5 Recyclable waste produced by Marks and Spencer BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 17

28 6 Morrisons 6.1 Data Morrisons PACKAGING Information on TOTAL RECYCLABLE RUBBISH Weight Weight % of Weight % of packaging (g) (g) total (g) total Avocadoes % Sticky labels Potatoes None Bananas % hook Broccoli None Tomatoes % tray film Cucumber % Shrink wrap Grapes None Mushrooms None Peppers None Strawberries Sausages % 100.0% Minced beef % Chicken breasts % Lamb chops % Salmon % tray & lid Bubble wrap tray Film tray Film tray Film tray Film tray Film Check Local Recycling Check Local Recycling Not Currently Not Currently Check Local Recycling Not Currently BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 18

29 Milk % % bottle& lid tub & lid Check Local Recycling Sunflower spread % Paper seal Not Currently Stilton % tray & film Eggs % - - Cardboard box Cardboard box film Pizza % % Polystyrene base Sugar % Waxed Raisins % Multi-pack crisps % 12 Foil packets Cookies % Cornflakes % % Loaf bread % Baked Beans % - - Tea % % paper bag bag Not Currently Outer Check Local plastic bag Recycling Not Currently Check Local packet Recycling Cardboard box bag bag Check Local Recycling Can Widely Cardboard box film Jam % % Glass jar & metal lid Widely Check Local Recycling Morrisons clearly stated whether packaging was recyclable (in words) on ten of the 29 items; and used the mobius loop on six items. Four items showed what the packaging was made from. None of the packaging was labelled as made from recycled materials. The total weight of packaging from Morrisons was 749.5g g was recyclable (63.84%) and 271g was rubbish. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 19

30 6.2 Shopping basket from Morrisons 6.3 Total waste produced by Morrisons BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 20

31 6.4 Rubbish produced by Morrisons 6.5 Recyclable waste produced by Morrisons BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 21

32 7 Sainsbury s 7.1 Data Sainsbury s PACKAGING Information on TOTAL RECYCLABLE RUBBISH Weight Weight % of Weight % of packaging (g) (g) total (g) total Avocadoes * - - * 100.0% Sticky label Potatoes None Bananas * - - * 100.0% Sticky label Broccoli None Tomatoes % 7PO250 Tray & Cucumber % Grapes % film Shrink wrap Mushrooms None Peppers * - - * 100.0% Sticky label tub, lid Strawberries % Sausages % Minced beef % Chicken breasts % Lamb chops % Bag Bubble wrap packet tray & film tray & film tray & film tray Salmon % packet Home compostable Return to large store to recycle Return to large store to recycle Check Local Recycling Not Currently Check Local Recycling Not Currently BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 22

33 Milk % % Sunflower spread % bottle & lid tub & lid Stilton % Shrink Eggs Pizza Sugar % % % % % recycled materials wrap Card board box Card base film Paper bag Recyclable is recyclable at large stores Raisins % bag Multi-pack crisps % Cookies % Cornflakes Loaf bread Baked Beans Tea 85% recycled board Outer packet & 12 packets packet Box Not Currently Check Local Recycling % % bag is recyclable at large % % % % Bag Recyclable steel can & lid Cardboard Box film stores is recyclable at large stores Widely recycled Jam Glass jar % % Steel lid Recyclable Sainsbury s clearly stated whether packaging was recyclable (in words) on 12 of the 29 items; and used the mobius loop or recyclable steel symbol on thirteen items. 14 items showed what the packaging was made from. On two items the packaging was labelled as made from recycled materials. The total weight of packaging from Sainsbury s was 709.5g. 474g was recyclable (66.81%) and 235.5g was rubbish. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 23

34 7.2 Shopping basket from Sainsburys BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 24

35 7.3 Total waste produced by Sainsburys 7.4 Rubbish produced by Sainsburys BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 25

36 7.5 Recyclable waste produced by Sainsburys BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 26

37 8 Tesco 8.1 Data Tesco PACKAGING Information on TOTAL RECYCLABLE RUBBISH Weight Weight % of Weight % of packaging (g) (g) total (g) total Avocadoes * - - * 100.0% Sticky label Potatoes None Bananas None Broccoli None Tomatoes None Cucumber % Shrink Grapes % wrap bag Mushrooms None Peppers None Strawberries % tub lid Bubble wrap Sausages % packet Minced beef % tray film tray & film Chicken % breasts Lamb chops % tray & film Salmon % tray & film BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 27

38 Milk % % bottle & lid Widely Sunflower spread % tub & lid Stilton % Shrink Eggs Pizza % % % 100% recycled board wrap Card board box Polystyrene base Shrink wrap Cardboard sleeve Sugar % bag Raisins % bag Multi-pack crisps % Outer plastic bag & 12 individual plastic bags Cookies % Cornflakes % % 75% recycled board packet Cardboard box bag Loaf bread % bag Baked Beans % - - Can Widely Tea % % Cardboard box & plastic film Jam % % Glass Recyclable Tesco clearly stated whether packaging was recyclable (in words) on three of the 29 items; and used the mobius loop on six items. Seven items showed what the packaging was made from. On two items the packaging was labelled as made from recycled materials. The total weight of packaging from Tesco was 645.5g. 417g was recyclable (64.6%) and 228.5g was rubbish. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 28

39 8.2 Shopping basket from Tesco 8.3 Total waste produced by Tesco BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 29

40 8.4 Rubbish produced by Tesco 8.5 Recyclable waste produced by Tesco BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 30

41 9 Waitrose 9.1 Data Waitrose PACKAGING Information on TOTAL RECYCLABLE RUBBISH Weight Weight % of Weight % of packaging (g) (g) total (g) total Avocadoes None Potatoes % bag Bananas * - - * 100.0% Sticky label Broccoli % Shrink Tomatoes % wrap tray & film Cucumber % Shrink wrap Grapes % Mushrooms % bag tub and cling film Peppers None Strawberries % tub & lid & bubble wrap Sausages % Minced beef % Chicken breasts % Lamb chops % Salmon % packet tray & film tray, & film tray, & film Card sleeve tray, & film Recyclable Recyclable Recyclable Recyclable Recyclable Recyclable Recyclable BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 31

42 Milk % % bottle & lid tub and lid, Sunflower spread % Paper Stilton % seal Wax paper & cling film Eggs % - - Cardboard box Card disc Pizza % % Shrink wrap Sugar % packet Raisins % Multi-pack crisps % packet Foil outer bag & 12 individual bags Cookies % packet Cardboard box Cornflakes % % bag Loaf bread % bag Baked Can % - - Beans Tea % % Jam % % Cardboard box Foil bags Glass jar Lid Recyclable Recyclable Recyclable Recyclable Recyclable Recyclable Recyclable Recyclable Waitrose clearly stated whether packaging was recyclable (in words) on 12 of the 29 items; and used the mobius loop on eight items. Four items showed what the packaging was made from. None of the packaging was labelled as made from recycled materials. The total weight of packaging from Waitrose was 802.5g. 499g was recyclable (62.18%) and 303.5g was rubbish. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 32

43 9.2 Shopping basket from Waitrose 9.3 Total waste produced by Waitrose BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 33

44 9.4 Rubbish produced by Waitrose 9.5 Recyclable waste produced by Waitrose BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 34

45 10 Indexing When shoppers visit the eight retailers it is often not possible to buy exactly the quantity requested on the shopping list provided, therefore the product size analysed can vary. For this reason at the third wave a separate evaluation has been completed to take into account the variation in product size by creating an index of the amount of waste produced by 100g of product. This chapter will focus on products where there was a large difference between the size of product available at the retailers on the day of the third wave of shopping. A minimum of 250g of cherry tomatoes were purchased from all retailers, although a pack of this size was not always available. Tomatoes Asda Coop Lidl M&S Morrisons Sainsburys Tesco Waitrose Product size (g) (loose) 500 Total Packaging (g) Packaging per 100g product (g) Tomatoes were available loose in Tesco and in a small plastic bag in Marks and Spencer so these had the least packaging per 100g of product. In Waitrose only a 500g pack was available in a tub with a total weight of 18g however compared to the smaller tubs for 250g, this was less packaging per 100g of product than Lidl or Sainsbury s, although all of Sainsbury s packaging on the cherry tomatoes was home compostable. Strawberries were purchased in two sizes, 227g and 400g although 400g packs were requested. Strawberries Asda Coop Lidl M&S Morrisons Sainsburys Tesco Waitrose Product size (g) Total Packaging (g) Packaging per 100g product (g) The index allows the packaging to be compared more fairly, and demonstrates that although the Co-op appears to have less packaging than Waitrose at the overall BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 35

46 summary level, the strawberries from Waitrose have the least packaging per 100g of product. Lidl had the most packaging per 100g of strawberries. A minimum of 400g of sausages was requested. In the Co-op a 400g pack was available but all other stores sold 454g packs. Sausages Asda Coop Lidl M&S Morrisons Sainsbury s Tesco Waitrose Product size (g) Total Packaging (g) Packaging per 100g product (g) Sausages were available in a small plastic packet in six of the eight retailers and all of these had less than 1.5g of packaging per 100g of product. For the remaining two retailers, the Co-op and Morrisons, sausages were packed in a plastic tray, and in addition the Co-op used a cardboard sleeve to provide the product information, increasing the amount of packaging on the sausages to 6.53g of packaging per 100g of product. Although 250g of chicken was requested, pack size again varied greatly between the retailers. Chicken Asda Coop Lidl M&S Morrisons Sainsbury s Tesco Waitrose Product size (g) Total Packaging (g) Packaging per 100g product (g) All retailers used a similar packaging format consisting of a plastic tray with a plastic seal covering. Asda and Marks and Spencer had the least packaging per 100g of chicken whilst Sainsbury s had the most. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 36

47 A minimum of 200g of lamb was requested but there was great variation in the pack size bought. Lamb Asda Coop Lidl M&S Morrisons Sainsbury s Tesco Waitrose Product size (g) Total Packaging (g) Packaging per 100g product (g) Lamb varied in pack size from 206g to 552g, while the packaging ranged from 15g at Asda to 39g at Lidl. The index shows that per 100g of product, Marks and Spencer had the least packaging for the lamb chops compared to other retailers. A 12 pizza was requested from all retailers, but the labelled weight of the pizza given on the packaging ranged from 265g to 772g. Pizza Asda Coop Lidl M&S Morrisons Sainsbury s Tesco Waitrose Product size (g) Total Packaging (g) Packaging per 100g product (g) The total weight of packaging also had a wide range from 16g at Marks and Spencer (a tray covered with film) to 89.5g at Waitrose (card base and shrink wrap). Waitrose also had the most packaging per 100g of product at 30g of packaging per 100g of pizza. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 37

48 125g Stilton was requested, although the quantity received ranged from 100g to 220g. Stilton Asda Coop Lidl M&S Morrisons Sainsbury s Tesco Waitrose Product size (g) Total Packaging (g) Packaging per 100g product (g) The indexed data shows Tesco had the least packaging as the cheese was shrinkwrapped, and Co-op the most, a plastic tray with film cover and sleeve showing the product information. A 12 bag multi pack of crisps was requested. Multi Pack crisps Asda Coop Lidl M&S Morrisons Sainsbury s Tesco Waitrose Product pack x 12 pack x size (g) pack pack pack pack 12 pack x 18g pack x 25g 25g x 25g x 25g x 25g x 25g 25g Total Packaging (g) Packaging per 100g product (g) The crisps purchased varied in different size multi-packs ranging from 6 to 14 packs, comparing by 100g of product Tesco crisps had the least packaging (8.81g), while Lidl had the most (13.27g). BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 38

49 11 Overall Analysis The total weight of packaging per basket ranged from 645.5g at Tesco to 802.5g from Waitrose, with an average weight of 727.0g. The proportion of waste that was recyclable i.e. any material for which recycling facilities are commonly available (e.g. glass, tins, paper, card, plastic bottles and Tetra Pak cartons) ranged from 57.8% at Lidl to 66.8% at Sainsburys with an average of 63.3% recyclable. Chart 11.1 shows the weight of the total packaging in relation to the proportion that was recyclable. Tesco (645.5g) and Marks and Spencer (671.0g) had the least packaging at the third wave, and both had above average proportions of recyclable packaging (64.6% and 65.6% respectively). Sainsbury s had the highest proportion of recyclable packaging (66.8%) and a below average weight of packaging (709.5g). The basket from Waitrose resulted in the largest amount of packaging at 802.5g with only 62.2% of this recyclable. The basket from Lidl also produced a lot of packaging (782.5g) and only 57.8% of this was recyclable. Although the Co-op also had a relatively large amount of packaging (761.0g), a high proportion of this was recyclable (65.6%). Asda had among the lowest amounts of packaging (695.0g), but also among the lowest proportions of recyclable packaging (59.7%), whilst Morrisons had a relatively high amount of packaging (749.5g) and an average amount of recyclable packaging (63.8%). The Co-op provided the most information about what packaging was made from, with symbols on 16 of the 29 items, whilst Morrisons and Waitrose provided the least information (only 4 items each). Marks and Spencer used recycled materials in four items of packaging (egg box, cornflake box, cookie tray and jam jar) according to the information provided on their labels while Lidl, Sainsbury s and Tesco used recycled materials in the packaging of two items (for bean tins and jam jars at Lidl, and for egg boxes and cornflake boxes at Sainsbury s and Tesco). Marks and Spencer provided the most information about whether packaging was recyclable clearly stating this on 18 of the 29 items, although the Co-op used the mobius loop or recyclable steel symbol on 17 items. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 39

50 Chart 11.1 Total weight of packaging by retailer (shown to nearest 0.5g) and percentage of packaging that is recyclable % % 65.6% % 65.6% 63.8% % 64.6% % 90% 80% 70% 60% % 40% % % 10% 600 Asda Co-op Lidl M & S Morrisons Sainsburys Tesco Waitrose 0% Total weight % recyclable BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 40

51 12 Conclusions The objective of this research was to inform the Local Government Association s War on Waste campaign which seeks to address the amount of rubbish produced and the way in which it is thrown away. Food was analysed from eight retailers to address this aim. At the third wave of the study the range of proportions of recyclable packaging ranged from 57.8% to 66.8% so there remains scope for improvement across all retailers in terms of reducing the amount of rubbish that is thrown away. There has been a great improvement in labelling of products since the previous waves, with many items showing details about whether packaging is widely recyclable, recyclable in some areas where facilities exist, or not recyclable. Seven of the ten fruit and vegetable items were available loose from Tesco although one of these had sticky labels to provide information about the product (avocadoes). Six items were available loose (some with sticky labels) from Morrisons, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury s. Asda and the Co-op sold five items loose (although only nine of the ten items were available in the Co-op), and Lidl and Waitrose only three. Cherry tomatoes were sold in a plastic tray in five of the eight retailers, with the plastic labelled as recyclable at Asda, the Co-op and Waitrose and check local recycling at Morrisons. They were available completely loose in Tesco, in a plastic bag at Marks and Spencer and in compostable packaging from Sainsbury s. Grapes were pre-packaged in bags in six of the eight retailers but available loose from Morrisons and Marks and Spencer. The bag from Sainsbury s stated that it could be recycled if returned to a large Sainsbury s store. Mushrooms were available loose from five retailers, and in plastic trays from Lidl, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose. Peppers were loose in seven retailers, but packaged in plastic at Lidl. Strawberries were packaged in a plastic tray at all retailers although the packaging from Asda, Sainsbury s and Waitrose was labelled as recyclable. The meat and fish products were packaged in plastics, although the Co-op also used card labels on the packaging of the sausages and chicken breasts which was counted as recyclable. Most provided some information about what the packaging was made from or whether it was capable of being recycled. At all eight retailers milk was packaged in a plastic bottle, made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE (2)), although only Marks and Spencer and Tesco had labelled this packaging as widely recyclable. The sunflower spread was also packaged in a similar way (in plastic tubs) at all eight retailers, Marks and Spencer and Morrisons advised the consumer to check local recycling. Stilton was shrink-wrapped at four retailers, sold in plastic trays at three retailers and wrapped in wax paper at Waitrose. The eggs were always available in a cardboard box but this was labelled BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 41

52 as made from 100% recycled paper/board at Marks and Spencer and Tesco and 95% recycled materials from Sainsbury s. Pizza varied in its packaging from all plastics (at Asda, Lidl and Marks and Spencer), two pizzas in cardboard boxes alongside some plastic wrapping, two on cardboard bases with plastic wrapping, and one in plastic wrapping on a polystyrene base with a cardboard sleeve to provide nutritional information. Sugar was available in a plastic bag from three retailers, a paper bag from three retailers (widely recyclable), and waxed paper bags from two retailers (Marks and Spencer bag labelled check local recycling ). Crisps were always packaged in plastic and foil lined bags, these were labelled as not recyclable from Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury s and as check local recycling for the outer plastic bag at Morrisons. Cookies were packaged in a plastic packet at all retailers, labelled as check local recycling by Morrisons. The packaging at Marks and Spencer additionally used a plastic tray which was made from 50% recycled plastic. The cornflakes were packaged in a plastic bag in a cardboard box at all retailers but the cardboard box was made from 85% recycled board at Sainsbury s, 75% recycled board at Tesco and 50% recycled paper at Marks and Spencer. The plastic bag was labelled as recyclable at Waitrose, and recyclable at large stores at Sainsbury s. The baked bean cans were labelled as recyclable steel from the Co-op, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury s, and labelled just as widely recyclable at Morrisons and Tesco. The can from Lidl was made from 40% recycled materials. Bread was packaged in a plastic bag at all retailers, and was labelled as recyclable at large Sainsbury s stores and check local recycling at Morrisons and Marks and Spencer. Jam was always packaged in a glass jar, which in Marks and Spencer was stated as being made from 20% recycled glass. The lid was also labelled as check local recycling at Marks and Spencer, recyclable at Waitrose and as recyclable steel at Sainsburys. The jar from Lidl was made from 97% recycled glass. While some retailers consistently provided information about whether packaging was recyclable, others only provided details on a few items. There is still a long way to go for some retailers to provide sufficient information for consumers about recycling and there is scope for improvement among all retailers in the amount of packaging made from recycled materials. BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 42

53 13 Appendix BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 43

54 War on Waste Wave 3 INT NAME/NO STORE Please purchase every item. Please buy the quantity stated and take note of MINIMUM weights Please remember to shop for OWN BRAND goods where possible. Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item. Use the instructions column for help with any substitutions. More details can be found in your instructions. Item Required weight/ Instructions/substitutions COMMENTS quantity Avocado (loose if possible) 3 Loose if possible. Packaged is acceptable if otherwise unavailable Baking potatoes (loose if possible) Bananas (loose if possible) Broccoli (loose if possible) Cherry Tomatoes (loose if possible) Cucumber (loose if possible) Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item 4 Loose if possible. Packaged is acceptable if otherwise unavailable Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Bunch (minimum 5) 300g minimum 250g Loose if possible. Packaged is acceptable if otherwise unavailable Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Loose if possible. Packaged is acceptable if otherwise unavailable Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Loose if possible. Packaged is acceptable if otherwise unavailable. If loose, a bag provided at the counter is acceptable for this product Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item 1 whole Loose if possible. Packaged is acceptable if otherwise unavailable Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 1

55 Grapes (loose if possible) Mushrooms (any type) (loose if possible) Peppers (loose if possible) Strawberries (loose if possible) Pork sausages (prepacked) Minced Beef (prepacked) 500g Loose if possible. Packaged is acceptable if otherwise unavailable. If loose a bag provided at the counter is acceptable for this product Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item 250g Loose if possible. Packaged is acceptable if otherwise unavailable. If loose a bag provided at the counter is acceptable for this product. Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item 3 Loose if possible. Packaged is acceptable if otherwise unavailable Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item 400g Loose if possible. Packaged is acceptable if otherwise unavailable. If loose a bag provided at the counter is acceptable for this product. Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item 400g minimum Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Pre packed if possible, other sausages acceptable if pork are unavailable. Loose is acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item 500g Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Pre packed if possible, other mince acceptable if beef is unavailable. Loose is acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 2

56 2 Chicken Breasts (prepacked) Lamb chops (pre packed) Fresh Salmon Fillets (prepacked) (MUST BE FRESH FILLETS NOT SMOKED/SLICES) 250g minimum 200g minimum 250g minimum Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Pre packed if possible. Loose is acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Pre packed if possible. Loose is acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Pre packed if possible. Loose is acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Fresh pizza 12" Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Semi skimmed milk Sunflower spread (tub) 1 pint Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item 500g Own brand if possible. Other 500g tub margarine acceptable if sunflower spread not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Stilton 125g minimum Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Eggs 6 medium Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 3

57 Sugar (any type) 1kg Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Raisins (FOR COOKING NOT FOR SNACKING) Multi pack crisps (any flavour) 500g Own brand if possible. Other dried fruit acceptable if raisins not available e.g. sultanas, currants, mixed dried fruits. These should be for cooking, if possible and not for snacking. Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item 12 pack Any own brand. Substitute with known brand if own brand not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Choc Chip Cookies 200g minimum Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available These should be packaged like biscuits not "luxury cookies" in a bag. Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Cornflakes 500g Own brand if possible. Similar cereal acceptable if cornflakes not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Loaf of white bread SLICED Baked Beans 800g 1 can (400g minimum) Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Tea 80 tea bags Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item Jam (any flavour) minimum 400g Own brand if possible. Other brand acceptable if otherwise not available Where there is a choice buy the CHEAPEST item BMRB Report: War on Waste Wave 3 4

58 For further information, please contact: LGA Analysis and Research Local Government House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ Telephone Or telephone LGconnect for all your local government queries on Fax Produced by Liberata Design and Print Studio, February 2009 L09-136