Are supermarkets hindering our recycling efforts?

A survey by the Local Government Association has suggested that the leading supermarkets are still using too much packaging on their products, which is hindering our household recycling efforts.  The survey covered 29 common food items and six leading supermarkets - Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Lidl and Marks & Spencer.  

The results showed that up to 40% of the packaging in an average household shopping-basket cannot be recycled.  An average of 5% of the total weight of the products bought for the study was made up of packaging.

The report found that Asda was the best performing supermarket, with the least amount of packaging, of which around 70% was recyclable.  Lidl had the most packaging amongst those surveyed, and Marks & Spencer used the most amount of packaging that was non-recyclable.

Paul Bettison, of the Local Government Association, said:

“People are working to increase their recycling rates, but their efforts are being hamstrung by needlessly overpackaged products. Many supermarkets are taking action to cut back on excessive packaging, but there is an urgent need to do more. Councils and council taxpayers are facing fines of up to £3 billion if we do not dramatically reduce the waste thrown into landfill.”