Excessive food packaging used by supermarkets is undermining householders’ efforts to recycle more and is adding to council tax bills, says a new report.
In its third survey of the food packaging found in a typical basket of shopping, the Local Government Association, a cross-party organisation representing councils in England, found that almost 40% of supermarket food packaging cannot be easily recycled.
The British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) was commissioned by the LGA to look at eight supermarkets and the weight of food packaging they use in a typical shopping basket. The survey found that:
• Waitrose had the heaviest packaging (802.5 grams)
• Lidl had the lowest level of packaging that could be easily recycled (58 per cent)
• Tesco had the lightest (645.5 grams)
• Sainsbury’s had the highest level of packaging that could be easily recycled (67 per cent).
Council leaders claimed that while people are recycling more rubbish, their efforts are being held back by supermarkets. The LGA argues that supermarkets should pay towards recycling services so that more packaging can be recycled at an affordable price.
Since the LGA’s first survey in October 2007 the weight of food packaging has been reduced overall but the proportion that can be recycled has changed little. Marks & Spencer is now the second best supermarket in terms of the weight of its packaging, having been second to last in the previous two surveys.
The LGA is calling on the government to make retailers responsible for funding the collection of packaging so they have a direct incentive to produce less.
LGA chairman Margaret Eaton said: “Britain is the dustbin of Europe with more rubbish being thrown into landfill than almost any other country in Europe. Taxpayers don’t want to see their money going towards paying landfill taxes and EU fines when council tax could be reduced instead.
“If retailers create unnecessary rubbish, they should help taxpayers by paying for it to be recycled.”
