Signatories on “track” to meet CC2 pack targets
Signatories to Courtauld Commitment 2 are more than three quarters of the way to achieving their packaging reduction target, according to Wrap
Wrap said that grocery retailers, brands and manufacturers are on the way to towards meeting their three-year 10% packaging reduction target by the end of this year.
Courtauld Commitment 2 is a voluntary agreement aimed at improving resource efficiency and reducing the carbon and wider environmental impact of the grocery retail sector.
Lord de Mauley’s view
In his first comment on packaging, Resource Management Minister Lord de Mauley said: “I’m pleased that more and more businesses are realising that reducing waste and packaging throughout their supply chain is not only good for the environment but good for their bottom line too.
“These results show impressive progress in cutting down on unnecessary packaging, which is in everyone’s interest, and I will be encouraging the industry to build on its efforts to ensure we continue to make substantial progress.”
‘Encouraging’
Wrap said that the second year results are encouraging given they have been achieved alongside an increase in volume sales among signatories.
Signatories originally reported a 5.1% reduction in the first year. However, Wrap said that following receipt of new packaging and supply chain data from signatories, the first year results were restated to 4.7%.
The target is measures against a 2009 baseline and the aim is to reduce the carbon impact of grocery packaging by 10% by reducing the weight, increasing recycling rates and increasing the recycled content of all grocery packaging.
Elsewhere, Wrap said that there has also been a considerable reduction in supply chain waste by 8.8% – well ahead of the three-year target of 5%. The other target is to reduce food waste by 3% by the end of this year.
Richard Swannell, director, design and waste prevention, Wrap, said: “These are good results and indicative of the hard work that signatories have been putting in to be more resource efficient, benefiting of the environment and their bottom line. However, there is more to do.
“The reduction in supply chain waste is particularly important given it’s a new area for Courtauld. In this, its final year, we are continuing to work with the sector to help ensure the Courtauld Phase 2 targets are met in full.”
