Tesco Due to Stop Selling Plastic-Wrapped Multipacks in March

As we become more aware of the environmental issues and negative impacts plastic has on the planet, it’s important to make changes to help things ease and become better.  However, that brings us a lot of personal stresses, we as consumers worry about forgetting our reusable mugs, and having to use plastic instead, or forgetting the trusty tote bag and having to purchase a one-use bag instead during our shops.  But it’s important to note that we can only do so much, and that big companies and enterprises are truly the irresponsible entities when it comes to plastic distribution (*ahem* Coca Cola) – which is why steps like this are so important!

Tesco has announced that they’ll remove plastic wrapping from multipack tins in an attempt to cut down on waste, removing around 350 tonnes of plastic a year.  This is a first for a move like this within major UK retailers and was welcomed by Greenpeace, saying that this will remove “pointless plastic”.

The supermarket is working with brands such as Heinz and Green Giant to replace the plastic-wrapped packs with multi-buy deals instead.

This big change will begin on the 2^nd of March, when the retailer will stop ordering the wrapped multipacks to sell in store, though it’s good to note that some items will remain on the shelves until all stock is sold – making sure there isn’t extra unnecessary waste being made.

This decision stems from research that found out over 40% of Tesco customers buy tinned multipacks, with over 180,000 sold in stores every day.  This consists of tuna, soups, tinned tomatoes and baked beans, which are some of the most bought grocery items in the UK.

Towards the end of last year, major supermarkets like Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Asda pledged to get rid of black plastics from their shelves, as they’re hard to recycle.