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Alternatives to Plastic Packaging Not Always More Sustainable

Bowing to consumer pressure to eliminate single-use plastic packaging, CPGs and retailers switch to alternative materialsβ€”sometimes creating a greater environmental burden in the process.

Waitrose refill station
Survey interviewees expressed a sense of caution around in-store refill models, such as this one at U.K.’s Waitrose supermarket, due to issues such as product shelf life.

A fascinating new report from independent U.K. think tank Green Alliance finds that, despite retailer and Consumer Packaged Goods companies’ promises around reducing or eliminating plastic packaging, some dynamics are immutable. Among them, sustainability is a complex supply chain issue that requires complex solutions; there is no silver bulletβ€”the sustainability of a packaging material is dependent on the application; consumer surveys rarely reflect consumer realities; and quick fixes can often result in unintended consequences.

The report, β€œPlastic Promises, What the grocery sector is really doing about packaging," provides the results of interviews with five of U.K.’s major supermarkets as well as with major CPG companies. The aim, says Green Alliance, was β€œto understand the public pressure companies are under and how they are reacting to the joint challenges of plastic pollution and packaging sustainability.” The interviews were confidential, and the responses were made anonymous to ensure respondents would be as candid as possible.

One worrisome find was that brands report that decisions to switch from plastic are often made without considering the environmental impact of the substitute materials chosen or whether there is an adequate collection and treatment infrastructure in place for them. Says the report, β€œOne respondent called the process β€˜fairly quick and fairly cut and dry,’ prompted by a mandate to office managers to β€˜be more environmentally friendly,’ which results in a β€˜kneejerk reaction to exit plastic.’”

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