Morrisons launches new product labels asking shoppers to return plastic packaging to their supermarket in fresh bid to recycle more in store and at home
- New logos will encourage customers to return plastic packaging to UK stores
- Morrisons wants shoppers to bring items such as plastic banana and bread bags
- Scheme will tell people which items can be put into their recycling bins at homes
- It will also advise which ones need specialist processing and can be brought in
New logos will be put on the front of supermarket products to encourage customers to return plastic packaging to stores in Britain to boost recycling.
Morrisons will be the first supermarket to encourage customers to bring back the hard to recycle items, such as plastic banana and bread bags, to any of its stores.
The scheme will tell people simply which items can be put into the home recycling bins to be collected by local councils and those that need specialist processing.
The new packaging scheme to help customers recycle more is unveiled by Morrisons at the supermarket’s branch today at Catcliffe in South Yorkshire
Morrisons has large recycling bins positioned at the front of all of its stores for its customers
A ‘please reuse me’ icon is pictured on packaging for the likes of egg boxes at Morrisons
A ‘Please Recycle Me’ icon appears on packaging that can be recycled at home, such as plastic milk and drink bottles, while a ‘Recycle Me In Store’ icon appears on the many other products.
The system is designed to help combat the confusing postcode lottery that exists at the moment where each local authority has its own regime for deciding what packaging it is prepared to accept.
The scheme will initially feature on 400 lines, which account for over 500 million items sold by the supermarket per year, and will be rolled out across other products.
Morrisons has large recycling bins positioned at the front of all of its stores for its customers, which will accept all recyclable plastic bags, films and wraps.
The scheme focuses on icons advising customers on how the packaging can be recycle
A ‘Please Recycle Me’ icon appears on Morrisons packaging that can be recycled at home
These will be processed and turned into recyclable carrier bags and bin bags.
The move follows new research which shows that two thirds of customers are not confident whether they can recycle some plastics – including fruit and veg bags, plastic wrap around toilet rolls and plastic bread bags.
The same also found that nine ten are more likely to recycle if there is a simple clear message on front of packaging.
Packaging manager at Morrisons, Natasha Cook, said: ‘Our customers tell us they want us to reduce packaging, and where we can’t remove it they want to recycle it.
‘So we are putting clear icons on the front of 400 popular purchases – and inviting customers to bring back packaging they can’t recycle at home.
‘The new clear ‘at a glance’ labels on the back of our packaging is also designed to help our customers recycle – whether pots, tubs, trays, bags, film, bottles or glass.’