Campaign run in UK national newspaper.
26 January 2007 – A campaign launched by The Independent newspaper against “excessive” packaging of consumer goods has received some limited support from the Packaging Federation. Its new chief executive, Dick Searle, is happy that the national daily has laid blame at the door of the retailer and consumer – rather than the packaging industry. Searle, who took up the post at the Federation earlier this week, said: “At the end of the day the packaging is specified by retailers but often in the past the packaging industry has been blamed.” However, he argued that it was unrealistic to think that demand for individually portioned meals will drop off due to environmental concerns. He said: “95% want to buy individually portioned meals and supermarkets are not stupid – people buy them because they want them and it’s become an integral part of society as we know it.” On Monday The Independent ran a series of articles around recycling and urged readers to write in with examples of “excessive” packaging, which it then printed on Tuesday. These have included: recycled loo rolls wrapped in non-recyclable plastic; plastic wrapping and bags around fruit and vegetables; oversized bottles for vitamins; and plastic wrapping around computer and electrical items such as memory cards. Searle said the newspaper missed an opportunity to highlight the lack of joined-up thinking between recycling and industry. While glass is recycled fairly easily more could be done with plastics, paper and card. He said: “It’s a bitter irony that we are all arguing about energy – a lack of energy when we are thinking of not incinerating products.” Finally, Searle added: “Is this campaign responsible – well are any of them? This is a way of selling newspapers. But have they struck a chord? I believe they have.” Remarks made by the minister for the local environment, Ben Bradshaw, opened up a debate on so-called excessive packaging at the end of last year (see PRW.com 17 November 2006). Jane Bickerstaffe from the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) said: “INCPEN – which represents companies involved in all parts of the packaging and products supply chain – has campaigned against excessive packaging for years. “There’s still room for improvement but things are moving the right way and the industry is not complacent.”
Reference: http://www.prw.com
