Taking stock of retail sustainability
Here, Robert Scott discuss how the high street can make positive changes to their environmental impact.
With an estimated 2.2m tonnes of plastic packaging used in the UK every year, and the equivalent of a truckload of plastic waste dumped into the world’s oceans every minute, it’s time to get smart on how we use plastic.
A recent BBC documentary series, hosted by Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall, provided a closer look at supermarkets in particular, which revealed that they contribute to one third of all plastic packaging here in the UK.
Perhaps even more surprising was the programme’s revelation that it costs more to buy unpackaged items than their packaged counterparts. Using the same basket of goods that the government uses for calculating inflation, an unpackaged shop was 42% more expensive at Tesco, and 19% dearer at Sainsbury’s, leaving consumers with almost no choice but to purchase goods unnecessarily wrapped in single-use plastic.
What happens to waste?
The UK, along with many other countries, exports the majority of it. Last year, the total volume of the UK’s plastic exports was 665,000 tonnes, which went to over a dozen countries – the biggest being Malaysia. Once it arrives in Malaysia, some ‘useful' plastic is processed, but the majority is left at dumping sites which can contaminate local water sources. In some cases, the plastic was burned, which directly affected the health of residents.
More worryingly – as highlighted by the Royal Statistical Society’s international statistic of 2018 – a huge 90.5% of plastic across the world has never been recycled, with around 12% of all plastic waste incinerated, and roughly 79% accumulating in either landfill or the natural environment.
As a designer, manufacturer and distributor of janitorial products, we’ve become increasingly aware of our own plastic waste and how we can create products focused on sustainable innovation. For example, using recycled materials to create a range of mop heads and cotton cloths, 100% recycled spray bottles made out of recycled milk bottles, as well as using FSC-certified wood to produce our brush and mop head handles.
There’s a long way to go, but we’re seeing more and more businesses commit to reducing their plastic waste. Morrisons, for example, recently announced plastic-free fruit and vegetable areas to encourage customers to buy bagless items – the first British supermarket to do so. This
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was after a 10-month trial that found consumption of loose fruit and veg increased by 40% – saving an estimated 156 tonnes of plastic a year.
Reducing plastic waste
It’s not just on their shelves where supermarkets could make a difference. We also think there’s a way that supermarkets and stores can reduce plastic waste and chemical use in their day-to-day cleaning regimes.
Using the Toucan Eco bio-cleaning system to clean units would reduce the amount of chemical cleaning agents by up to 80%, as well as the single-use plastic bottles they come in. Being 100% non-toxic, non-hazardous and non-allergenic to humans and animals, while also killing 99.999% of bacteria, Toucan Eco also reduces the health risks to end users.
Toucan Eco is a great way for retailers to reduce their single-use plastic waste as it eliminates a need for plastic- packaged cleaning products. Its removal of harmful chemical cleaners is also in the interest of both customers and staff – eradicating exposure to harmful passive fumes from chemical products.
By adopting this eco-friendly, safe and effective way to keep stores clean and germ-free on a daily basis – using only water, salt and a low voltage electric current – retailers will be able to demonstrate they’re leading the way for a better future.
With a potential follow-up programme due in a year’s time, it would be a great way for the supermarkets to prove their commitment to sustainability.
www.robert-scott.co.uk twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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