Carrefour plans to have 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging for its own-brand products by 2025.
The France-headquartered supermarket chain aims to eliminate non-recyclable packaging of organic fruit and vegetables and to stop selling plastic straws by the end of 2018. It will gradually replace plastic straws on juice cartons.
The company stressed it is committed to using recyclable packaging for all its products, starting with its organic Carrefour products, as of 2020. Polystyrene trays used in the meat, fish and cheese departments will be replaced with recyclable packaging.
As of 2022, the group will also use 50% recycled plastics for its juice, soda and water bottles.
The announcement comes the same week as the European Commission (EC) revealed plans to ban single-use plastic products such as straws and drink stirrers across the European Union.
Where alternatives are readily available and affordable, the EC has also proposed a ban on plastic cotton buds and cutlery. As part of proposals, member states will be obliged to collect 90% of single-use plastic drinks bottles by 2025.
The plans follow a strategy announced earlier this year which aims to make all plastic packaging in the EU recyclable by 2030.
In January, British supermarket chain Iceland announced it will aim to eliminate plastic packaging from all of its own-brand products by the end of 2023,
The company said it will create a range of packaging comprising of paper and pulp trays along with paper bags which are fully recyclable through domestic waste collection or in-store recycling facilities.
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