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Morrisons rolls out plastic-free fruit and veg offering nationwide
Supermarket giant Morrisons will roll out packaging-free fruit and veg across 60 of its UK stores this summer, following a successful trial at three of its stores.
Asda removes 6,500 tonnes of plastic from own-brand packaging
UK supermarket Asda has removed 6,500 tonnes of plastic from its own brand packaging over the last 12 months, the equivalent weight of around 600 million empty plastic bottles.
Lidl to trial removal of all plastic bags at Welsh stores
Plans have been announced by supermarket retailer Lidl to remove all 9p plastic bags from its stores in Wales.
Morrisons tests customer appetite for plastic-free shopping in paper bag trial
Supermarket giant Morrisons has this week launched a trial of US-style paper grocery bags, in a bid to gauge consumer attitudes to plastic-free options at the checkout.
Co-op commences plastic bag switch with compostable alternatives at 1,000 stores
The Co-op has kickstarted a phase out single-use plastic bags from more than 1,000 of its UK stores, replacing them with compostable alternatives.
Science-based targets and 'smart' mobility centres: The sustainability success stories of the week
As part of our Mission Possible campaign, edie brings you this weekly round-up of five of the best sustainability success stories of the week from across the globe.
Why Co-op hasn't signed up to the UK Plastics Pact
EXCLUSIVE: The Co-op is one of the two major supermarkets yet to commit to WRAP's collaborative agreement to tackle single-use plastics, but the company's environment manager Iain Ferguson believes that an "enterprising" approach to innovation will enable the retailer to rethink approaches to packaging.
Tesco offers money for plastic bottles in reverse vending trials
Tesco has announced that it will trial in-store reverse vending machines for plastic bottles, as it calls on the UK Government to introduce a nation-wide approach to recycling.
Lidl to stop using black plastic fruit and vegetable packaging
Lidl UK says it will remove black plastic from its entire fruit and vegetable range by the end of the month.
Waitrose to use home-compostable bags in produce aisles and phase-out 5p carrier bags
Waitrose & Partners has announced that it will stop offering single-use plastic bags in its fruit and vegetable aisles and remove 5p carrier bags from its stores, a move that will cut its plastic usage by 134 million bags each year.
Iceland ditches plastic for pre-packed bananas
Frozen food retailer Iceland is switching the packaging for its pre-packed bananas from plastic to a paper band that is 100% recyclable and made from recycled paper, in a move that will save 10 million plastic bags from being used by the company annually.
'Snap Packs' and greener ink: Carlsberg unveils new packaging solutions designed to reduce waste
Danish brewer Carlsberg is set to reduce its global packaging waste by more than 1,200 tonnes annually, after launching new Snap Pack multi-packs for branded beers alongside a host of other closed-loop packaging renovations.
UK plastic bag charge set to double to 10p
The Government has confirmed that it will launch a consultation on whether the nation's current charge for single-use plastic carrier bags should be doubled to 10p and rolled out to every shop in the country.
Iceland launches plastic-free chewing gum in UK first
Frozen food giant Iceland has today (August 1) launched a range of plastic-free chewing gum, making it the first supermarket in the UK to offer a biodegradable alternative.
Sustainable shopping: How are UK supermarkets tackling plastic pollution?
Whether it's products containing microbeads, items sold in unnecessary single-use packaging, or consumers opting for plastic bags at the checkout, Britain's supermarkets are at the epicentre of the plastics problem. Here, edie examines the new actions retailers are taking to reduce avoidable plastic waste.
Iceland tests customer appetite for tackling plastic waste with paper bag trials
Frozen food giant Iceland has this week launched a paper bag trial, in a bid to reduce its plastics output and find out whether customers are willing to ditch plastic carrier bags at the checkout.
Morrisons rolls out paper bags in produce aisles to cut plastic waste
Supermarket chain Morrisons has announced that it will stop offering single-use plastic bags in its fruit and vegetable aisles, in a bid to cut its plastic output by 150 million bags each year.
edie Explains: Electric vehicles
This brand new edie Explains guide breaks down everything there is to know about deploying electric vehicles (EVs) across your business fleet.
World Environment Day: Seven countries leading the charge on plastics pollution
Today (5 June) marks World Environment Day, the UN’s global vehicle to inspire action on a plethora of pressing environmental issues, notably plastics pollution. Here, edie scans the globe to see how nations are putting an end to certain types of plastic.
Parliament vows to 'eliminate' single-use plastics from operations by 2019
Parliament has today announced its goal to "virtually eliminate" single-use plastics from its internal operations by 2019, by taking measures such as phasing out sauce sachets, banning the sale of single-use water bottles and introducing a "latte levy" on disposable coffee cups.
Wimbledon announces ban on plastic straws for 2018 championship
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has announced it will use recyclable paper straws for the 2018 Wimbledon tournament, in a bid to prevent more than 400,000 plastic straws going to landfill.
Theresa May outlines plan to ban plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds
Prime Minister Theresa May has announced that a consultation will take place later this year to prepare England for a national ban on plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds.
Drop in plastic bags littering British seas linked to introduction of 5p charge
A big drop in plastic bags found in the seas around Britain has been credited to the introduction of charges for plastic bags across Europe.
Lidl UK exploring deposit return scheme as part of plastic waste commitment
Lidl UK has today (9 March) unveiled a package of new commitments to reduce plastic waste, including plans to remove all single-use plastic bags, reduce the quantity of plastic packaging by one-fifth and consider a deposit return scheme for plastic containers.
Morrisons follows rivals in pledge to phase out single-use plastic bags
Morrisons has become the last of the big four UK supermarket chains to commit to remove 5p single-use plastic carrier bags from its stores.
Plastics: We're at war with the symptoms, not the cause
Theresa May's call to eliminate all "avoidable" plastic waste within the next 25 years is a step in the right direction, but also follows a growing trend that ignores the remedies needed in the value chain of the UK's resource efficiency ambitions.
Two serious throwaway culture issues for Theresa May beyond plastic bags
The UK government's new 25 year plan for the environment (25 YEP) leads with the planned extension of the plastic bag tax and the need to tackle plastic waste in what Theresa May calls our "Throwaway Culture".
Solving the ocean plastics blight - a systems approach
A storm of heightened awareness and indignation around pervasive plastic pollution has swelled over the past month. With recent mass coverage, namely Blue Planet II and Sky's A Plastic Ocean, the drive to save our oceans from a toxic, chemical-infused future has never been more potent.
Plastic packaging: Are producers ready for their 'diesel moment'?
As CDP's new report warns that "rapid process innovations" are needed to help the chemical sector align to the goals of the Paris Agreement, the organisation's head of investor research Carole Ferguson tells edie that plastic packaging is on the cusp of regulatory and consumer backlash.
Tesco criticised for deducting £3.4m from plastic bag tax charity donations
Millions of pounds in administration costs were deducted from the charitable donations made by Tesco using funds generated from the plastic bag tax, government data has revealed. No other major supermarket made any such deductions, leading senior MPs to urge Tesco to follow their lead.
Plastic packaging: Are retailers ready to face the elephant in the room?
Britain's retailers must address "the elephant in the room" that is the use of polyethene plastic for the delivery of products to and from stores, the head of sustainability at outdoor clothing company Surfdome has told edie.
Tesco to scrap single-use carrier bags in favour of 'bag for life'
The UK's largest supermarket group is replacing all of its 5p single-use carrier bags – which it sold more than 600 million of last year – with a new 10p 'bag for life' made from 94% recycled plastic.
Sky partners with Oval cricket ground to raise awareness of ocean plastic pollution
Broadcasting company Sky is taking its Ocean Rescue sustainability campaign to the world of cricket by forming a partnership with the Kia Oval stadium, which will see refillable water bottles handed out to fans during England's match against South Africa this week.
Plastic bag charge: 10 fascinating facts about the scheme's sustainability success
With new Government figures revealing an 83% reduction in single-use carrier bag sales since the instruction of a 5p charge in England, edie delves deep into the data to bring you 10 facts and statistics that you probably didn't know about the scheme and its effects.
#BreakFreeFromPlastic: Yes we can (recycle plastic bags)
On International Plastic Bag Free Day (3 July), let's consider the facts: the UK is still addicted to plastic bags. Even after the 5p charge was implemented in October 2015, supermarkets still sold 640 million plastic bags in just six months.
Why food and packaging waste is often a hidden behavioural problem
The cost of coffee cup disposal is considerable and at the University there is confusion over whether cups can be placed in recyclable or non-recyclable bins - which leads to contamination of waste streams.
Tesco to trial a phase-out of single-use 5p plastic bags
Shoppers at a handful of Tesco stores in the UK will no longer be able to buy 5p "single-use" plastic carrier bags, in the first such trial by a supermarket.
Sustainability megatrends: Realising the business case for sustainable economic growth
edie's series of exclusive thought-leadership articles on the global impact of megatrends culminates with New Climate Economy's programme director Helen Mountford exploring how businesses and governments are developing more sustainable models of economic growth that are fit for the future.
Compost, degrade, recycle: the truth about plastic bags
There is obviously a lot of confusion around the materials plastic shopping bags are made from and the compostability, biodegradability and recyclability of them.
Three degrees of plastic bags and how they degrade
The claims and reality about plastic bags..... the reality is more positive than you might think, BUT as companies fight it out over their green credentials, we (consumers trying to do the best thing) and the environment suffer.
10 top tips to drive engagement with your CSR report
What are the key components required to produce a sustainability report which drives engagement on a range of CSR issues among key stakeholders? edie brings you the secrets to sustainability reporting success with this latest top-tips guide for businesses.
Plastic bag take-back: the next step towards a circular economy?
Plastic bag use is expected to fall significantly in Sweden after an innovative take-back trial conducted by Nottingham Trent University led to an 80% drop in consumer usage.
Tesco and Sainsbury's ban plastic cotton buds to cut waste
The UK's two largest supermarket chains have committed to end the sale of cotton buds with plastic stems, which are the most common litter from toilets flushed on to the country's beaches.
Ministers reject calls for charge on UK's disposable coffee cups
Ministers have rejected calls for a charge on the 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups thrown away each year because they believe coffee shop chains are already taking enough action to cut down waste.
Tesco's single-use carrier bag numbers drop by 1.5 billion
On the first anniversary of the carrier bag charge roll-out, UK supermarket giant Tesco has revealed that more than 1.5 billion single-use carrier bags have been saved by its customers in England since the levy's introduction.
England sees surge in shoppers using their own carrier bags
The overwhelming majority of the English population now carry their own bags when food shopping following the introduction of the 5p carrier bag charge a year ago, new research has revealed.
Lidl pledges to remove single-use plastic carrier bags
German discount supermarket chain Lidl UK has today (28 September) pledged to remove single-use plastic carrier bags from sale across all stores in England, Scotland and Wales.
Carnival clean-up: Notting Hill waste to generate 100MWh of electricity
Westminster City Council is planning to collect all of the waste from Notting Hill Carnival and use it to generate electricity for the National Grid - all in time to have the streets clean for the Tuesday morning commute.
Your country needs YOU to fight the War on Waste
From coffee cups to wonky veg, consumers must play a part in reducing waste as well as businesses.
Carrier bag data reveals varying approaches to CSR among Britain's supermarkets
With new Defra figures revealing that the 5p plastic bag charge has led to a huge decline in the number of bags being handed out by retailers in England, a closer look at the data reveals a significant difference in the way the charge is now being managed by the country's biggest supermarkets.
Carrier bag charge sees usage plummet by 6.5 billion
The number of plastic shopping bags handed out by retailers in England has dropped from seven billion to just over half a billion within six months, following the introduction of the 5p carrier bag charge last October.
Asda passes £1m carrier bag charge profits onto social enterprises
Asda will be investing £1.1m from its carrier bag charge into programmes aimed at developing social enterprises across Scotland and Wales.
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