Tesco to turn plastic waste into bags

Plastic waste generated by Tesco will be reprocessed into carrier bags on sale at stores from this month, the retailer has announced.

A partnership between Tesco PLC and Eurokey Recycling Ltd, both members of RECOUP (RECycling Of Used Plastics Limited), will see back-of-store plastic waste, such as pallet and multi-pack wrapping, turned into second life products by German packaging producer Papier-Mettler.

The material will be collected by Eurokey, which will then sort the plastics at its facility in Eastern Europe to prepare the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) for reprocessing. From there, the plastics will be processed and granulated at the Papier-Mettler facility in Morbach, Germany.

This granulated recycled LDPE will then be used to produce Tesco single-use carrier bags as well as an element of the retailer’s bags for life. The single-use carrier bags will be made from 100 per cent recycled LDPE, with 80 per cent of the material coming from post-consumer plastic waste, and the remaining 20 per cent made up of recycled plastic waste from the production process onsite.

The bags will be available throughout the supermarket chain for consumers to buy from this month. The whole of the UK now charges for carrier bags from supermarkets, after England became the final country to introduce a five-pence charge last week.

Closed loop ‘ideal for Tesco, customers and the environment’

Bill Aldridge, UK Sales Manager of Papier-Mettler, said: “We are delighted to be working with Tesco to achieve optimal solutions regarding green packaging. As a result, Tesco not only offers carrier bags made of post-consumer recycled material, they have now gone one step further. By closing the material loop, Tesco carrier bags are now produced using their own plastic waste. An ideal situation for Tesco, Tesco’s customers and the environment.”

Stuart Foster, RECOUP CEO, added: “[The partnership] is a perfect example of how joined-up actions between the supply and recycling chain can deliver efficient recycling of plastic resources in a transparent way. A true plastics recycling success story and an example for others to follow.”

Marcus Gover, Director of WRAP, commented: “Tesco’s move to include post-consumer plastic waste in their new carrier bags is a positive and welcome step. Tesco shoppers will now be able to appreciate first-hand the potential for recycled plastic and it will help reinforce a positive recycling message.”

Find out about the English carrier bag charge.