The Co-operative Food has today (20 August) announced that it has changed the plastic film packaging on its own-brand onion range from polypropylene to polythene in the hopes of diverting the 32 tonnes of Co-op onion packaging sent to landfill annually.

The switch to the onion range is the latest step in a wider move by The Co-operative Food to make more of its fresh produce packaging recyclable as part of its Ethical Plan to reduce the retailer’s environmental impact and support communities.

Iain Ferguson, Environment Manager at The Co-operative Food, said: “The Co-operative is leading the way in providing customers with recyclable packaging.  We know our customers are keen to protect the environment and, in addition, we are also working to label all our recyclable product lines to make it as easy as possible for our customers to recycle.”

The new packs will carry the On-Pack Recycling Label, which will indicate that the onion bags can be brought to the carrier bag recycling points at the retailer’s larger stores to be recycled into bin bags and the Co-operative’s bags for life. 

Marcus Gover, Director of Closed Loop Economy at WRAP, welcomed the move, saying: “WRAP welcomes every initiative from retailers and brand owners to encourage people to recycle more plastic films. So we are pleased to see The Co-operative taking this step to boost the recyclability of its onion packaging, and making it easier for consumers to recycle it by using the On-Pack Recycling Label.”

Further details on Co-Operative’s Ethical Plan can be found on its website.