Tesco and Sainsbury’s have come under fire for allegedly misleading customers regarding their front-of-store recycling schemes. An investigation revealed that a significant portion of soft plastic returned to these supermarkets was incinerated rather than recycled. The Everyday Plastic campaign group and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA UK) monitored 40 bundles of soft plastic waste, including bags, films, and wrapping, collected through supermarket take-back schemes in England. Both Tesco and Sainsbury’s have implemented front-of-store collection points in recent years to address plastic waste issues, allowing shoppers to drop off soft plastic packaging for recycling.
Despite the intention to recycle this plastic waste, volunteers placed tracking devices in the 40 bundles of plastic packaging and followed their journey from July 2023 to February 2024. Shockingly, the investigation revealed that a significant portion of the plastic waste ended up being burned for energy or downcycled into lower-value products overseas, with only a minimal amount being recycled in the UK. The campaigners pointed out that 70% of the tracked bundles which reached a known destination were incinerated for energy, not recycled.
The campaigners raised concerns that these store collection points have enabled Tesco and Sainsbury’s to claim progress towards their voluntary packaging recyclability goals, potentially diverting attention from the core issue of excessive plastic production. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) highlighted the limited recycling capacity in the UK for post-consumer waste, primarily focusing on commercial waste rather than household recycling.
Alison Colclough, research director at Everyday Plastic, stressed that the investigation exposes the reality of supermarket recycling schemes and the overproduction of unnecessary plastic packaging. The EIA’s senior ocean campaigner, Lauren Weir, emphasised the implications of exporting soft plastic waste and called for more responsible waste management practices.
With negotiations for the UN Global Plastics Treaty ongoing, campaign groups are urging the UK Government to support a 40% reduction in global plastic production by 2040. There are calls for supermarkets to endorse this policy and adopt more sustainable practices. The investigation also revealed that marketing claims on product labels and in-store signage may mislead consumers about the true environmental impact of recycling soft plastics.
While Tesco and Sainsbury’s have responded to the allegations, acknowledging areas for improvement, the issue of misleading recycling practices remains a key concern. The need for transparency in waste management and efforts to establish robust recycling infrastructure in the UK are critical to addressing the challenges posed by plastic waste. As the investigation sheds light on the complexities of plastic recycling, the call for sustainable solutions and responsible consumer choices grows louder.