Marks & Spencer (M&S) has taken steps towards sustainability by introducing recyclable packaging for its rice, grains, and pulses range.
The new packaging, available in over 30 products including bestsellers like Basmati rice and Red Lentils, is made of paper and can save up to 5.5 million pieces of plastic annually. The paper-based bags contain a plastic coating to preserve the food, while the paper boxes for M&S’s top-tier Collection range are fully plastic-free.
Both types of packaging can be left in kerbside recycling bins for collection by local authorities. M&S aims to ensure 100% of its food packaging is widely recyclable by 2025 and to remove one billion pieces of plastic from its food packaging by 2027, as part of its sustainability roadmap, ‘Plan A’.
Andrew Clappen, M&S Food technical director said the company aims to find alternatives that customers can easily recycle and that reduce plastic, while still protecting the quality of M&S products.
Over 500 M&S stores also have recycling bins for packaging waste not typically recycled by local authorities, such as yoghurt lids and sweet wrappers. M&S’s Family Matters Index found that 63% of UK families are concerned about the environment, and seven in 10 UK adults are making more of an effort to live sustainably due to the rising cost of living.
Over half believe it is important for retailers to make their products as environmentally friendly as possible.