Food packaging pledge could save 8m tonnes from landfill The government announced today (March 4th) that several high street names have committed to cutting the amount of packaging they use for food, making it more environmentally friendly and "encouraging consumers to be less wasteful with food.

Phase two of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' Courtauld Commitment will see grocery manufacturers and retailers compete to reduce the carbon impact of packaging by 10 per cent – which amounts to a saving of 1.1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Signatories to the commitment include Asda, Dairy Crest, Danone Dairies, HJ Heinz, Muller Dairies, Sainsbury's, Nestle, Waitrose and Warburtons.

Packaging is likely to be lighter, consisting of a higher percentage of recyclable materials which will be more comprehensively reused in order to reduce the amount of waste put into landfill.

The moves will impact across the whole supply chain, which is expected to achieve a five percent reduction in carbon emissions.

A key part of Phase II will be educating consumers on food waste, the results of which could save £800 million and over one million tonnes of carbon emissions by December 2012, the deadline for the commitment.

http://tinyurl.com/yftbsy8
ADNFCR-1235-ID-19650206-ADNFCR