UK supermarkets pledge to get rid of single-use plastics by 2025

Supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Aldi have banded together with food and drink manufacturers to pledge to eliminate single-use plastics by 2025 under a new 'UK Plastics Pact'.

The agreement, organised by charity Wrap, involves 42 firms which have set a deadline of 2025 to eradicate plastic that cannot be reused from their stores. These items include 5p carrier bags, ready-meal trays, crisp packets, pizza bases and food pouches among others.

As well as the major supermarkets, Pret a Manager and giants including Unilever, Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Nestlé and Danone all signed up. The businesses in total account for 80% of the non-recyclable plastic sold to consumers in the UK.

For the new measures to work, Wrap said households needed to be aware of the issue and to recycle plastic more thoroughly, so the charity will start an awareness campaign for the general public later in the year.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “Our ambition to eliminate avoidable plastic waste will only be realised if government, businesses and the public work together.

“Industry action can prevent excess plastic reaching our supermarket shelves in the first place. I am delighted to see so many businesses sign up to this pact and I hope others will soon follow suit.”

Marcus Gover, chief executive at Wrap, said: "Together, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rethink and reshape the future of plastic so that we retain its value, and curtail the damage plastic waste wrecks on our planet.

"This requires a wholescale transformation of the plastics system and can only be achieved by bringing together all links in the chain under a shared commitment to act."