Tesco and Sainsbury’s face scrutiny over their in-store recycling programmes after revelations about waste treatment methods.
- Investigations show that much of the soft plastic collected is being incinerated rather than recycled.
- Campaigners tracked 40 bundles of plastic waste, revealing extensive travel across the UK and overseas.
- A significant portion of the plastic is turned into fuel or burned for energy, with little actually recycled.
- The investigation highlights the need for greater transparency in supermarket recycling initiatives.
An investigation involving the Everyday Plastic campaign group and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA UK) has brought to light concerning practices in the in-store recycling schemes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s. These major UK supermarkets have been found allegedly misleading customers regarding how the collected plastic is processed. The study monitored 40 bundles of soft plastic waste, often comprising single-use bags, films, and wrappers.
Tracking devices placed by volunteers in these plastic bundles revealed that they collectively travelled over 25,000km within the UK and abroad. Of the trackers that reached their final destinations, a concerning number were used for purposes other than recycling: seven were converted into fuel pellets, five incinerated for energy, and four downcycled into lower-value products outside the UK, notably in Turkey.
The Everyday Plastic campaigners reported that only one bundle was downcycled domestically in the UK, with about 70% of monitored waste being incinerated for energy recovery instead of being recycled. This finding challenges the claims made by Sainsbury’s and Tesco about their progress toward voluntary packaging recyclability targets.
In response to these findings, Sainsbury’s has stated efforts to enhance signage and encourage proper recycling of soft plastics in-store. However, the investigation questions the supermarket’s portrayal of collection points as a viable recycling solution. A spokesperson acknowledged the need for improved management of materials that are soiled or damaged, which might necessitate conversion to energy rather than recycling.
Tesco acknowledged a supplier error resulting in some waste being processed in Turkey, yet defended its recycling efforts, citing projects like transforming plastic into items such as Bags for Life. Acknowledging the infrastructure gaps for recycling soft plastics, Tesco emphasised ongoing efforts to minimise landfill contributions through alternative uses for collected plastic.
Alison Colclough, research director at Everyday Plastic, remarked, “The take-back schemes are being presented as a solution, which is diverting attention from the main issue that can’t be overlooked: far too much unnecessary plastic packaging is being produced.”
This investigation underscores the urgent need for increased accountability and transparency in the recycling processes of major retailers.
