Packaging reduction figures welcomed

According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the amount of this packaging used on food items has not changed since 2006, despite substantial increases in the quantities being sold.

In response, director of business environment at the BRC Jane Milne asserted that this is a "spectacular" development and that retailers should be commended.

"This demonstrates what can be achieved by voluntary measures, enabling retailers to find solutions that fit their business," she stated.

Three years ago the BRC, WRAP and a number of retailers signed up to the Courtauld Commitment in which they said they will slow packaging growth to zero by the end of the year.

Milne noted that food sales have risen in the last two years, as has the population in the UK, something that makes the shift even more profound.