Today the world’s first plastic-free aisle was launched in Amsterdam by environmental campaign group A Plastic Planet and Dutch supermarket Ekoplaza. The aisle enables shoppers to choose from 700 everyday products that are free from plastic packaging. Before the end of the year, Ekoplaza plans to roll the plastic-free aisle out across each of its 74 stores.
Plastic packaging has no place in food and drink. There is no logical basis for wrapping something as perishable as food with something as indestructible as plastic. With recycled plastics today accounting for just 6% of total plastics demand in Europe, it’s clear that we cannot recycle our way out of the plastic problem. Food and drink plastic packaging does not belong in a circular economy given that it is difficult to reclaim, is easily contaminated, and all too often proves valueless.
The grocery retail sector accounts for more than 40% of all plastic packaging. Plastic-free aisles make sound commercial sense, with a Populus poll last year revealing that 91% of Britons back the measure.
Plastic has replaced so many forms of packaging that consumers wanting to reduce their plastic footprint at the moment find it impossible to do so.
We agree with A Plastic Planet that a plastic-free aisle will help consumers to reduce their own single-use plastic mountain. We call on supermarkets across Europe to follow Ekoplaza’s example without delay.
Julie Andersen Executive director, Plastic Oceans Foundation, Chris Butler-Stroud CEO, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Luca Bonaccorsi Director of communications and engagement, Marine Conservation Society UK, Laura Chatel Senior advocacy officer, Zero Waste France, Natalie Fee Founder, City to Sea, Dr Laura Foster Head of clean seas, Marine Conservation Society UK, Julian Kirby Environmental justice campaigner, Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Ffion Matthews Communications director, Friends of the Earth Wales, Frederikke Magnussen Co-founder, A Plastic Planet, Mindy O’Brien Coordinator, VOICE, Sian Sutherland Co-founder, A Plastic Planet, Hugo Tagholm Chief executive, Surfers Against Sewage, Maria Westerbos Founder and director, Plastic Soup Foundation
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