Nearly 29% of UK supermarket packaging is not recyclable

A Which? investigation has found a third of plastic packaging in supermarkets is not recyclable. Morrisons was found to be the best at using recyclable packaging while Lidl showed the worst results.

Which? took a basket of 27 of the most popular own-brand groceries from 10 of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains and found that between 71% and 81% is recyclable.

Lidl was the worst performer with 71% of recyclable packaging and was closely followed by Iceland (73%), Ocado (74%) and Sainsbury’s (75%).

The best performer was Morrisons with easily recyclable packaging for 81% of its tested products.

The study also found key differences in some packaging used for example, Morrisons’ beef mince was in a widely recyclable plastic tray while Lidl’s came in a black plastic that can’t be recycled.

Eliminating plastic packaging altogether from supermarkets is impossible since it helps food last longer and organic waste produces three times as much carbon as its packaging. But Which? are asking manufacturers to not use non-recyclable plastic packaging when other options are available.

Which? are calling on the government to label the products to help consumers distinguish whether the plastic can be recycled and how..

The government already has measures to achieve its ‘zero avoidable waste’ by 2050. Including initiatives such as a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles.