The move will mean that the retailer will potentially increase the recycled content of plastic milk bottles from 10% to 30% – helping to produce an extra 4,500 tonnes of recyclable material every year.
The Co-operative sells 202m bottles of milk each year. Previously, the amount of recycled plastic that can be used to make new clear milk bottles was limited because bottle tops colour the material.
The company’s environment manager Iain Ferguson said: “We are proud to be leading the way with this initiative and that The Co-operative is the first UK retailer to complete this move on all of its own-brand milk bottles.”
Research from WRAP found that reducing the tint in milk bottle tops is a ‘quick win’ that can help achieve higher recycled content in milk bottles, thereby reducing the use of virgin plastic.
Maxine Perella