New data reveals supermarkets are bringing packaging under control

UK supermarkets and food manufacturers are winning their battle with waste packaging, according to new data from the government-backed Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

The advisory body today announced that the amount of waste packaging produced by the UK grocery sector has stopped growing in the past year, despite an increase in sales of almost two per cent.

WRAP said the findings underlined the success of the Courtauld Commitment - the voluntary agreement signed between the government and the grocery sector in 2005 and designed to curb packaging and food waste. It added that the levelling off of packaging levels meant that the sector had met its target for the past year and was now on track to meet the Commitment's ultimate target of reducing food and packaging waste from 2010 onwards.

WRAP chief executive Liz Goodwin said that the organisation was now looking to continue to work with retailers to begin to reduce the environmental impact of packaging through improved supply chain management and wider use of recycled materials.

The British Retail Consortium heralded the news as a "triumph" and hailed it as vindication of the voluntary approach that underpins the Courtauld Commitment.

"The UK population and total food sales have risen substantially in two years, yet retailers are not using any more packaging now than they were then," said Jane Milne, BRC director of business environment. "This demonstrates what can be achieved by voluntary measures, enabling retailers to find solutions that fit their business."

Speaking at a gathering of signatories to the Commitment, environment minister Joan Ruddock welcomed its success, but urged retailers to now intensify efforts to reduce food waste. "For every tonne of food we can prevent being thrown away, we can save four and a half tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and I would urge signatories to keep this in mind when considering ways in which to tackle this problem," she said.

WRAP is currently urging retailers to sign up to an additional target to help cut food waste by 155,000 tonnes a year through clearer date labelling, better storage advice and a wider range of portion sizes.