The supermarket chain has become the first retailer to sell own brand fresh milk in carbon neutral cartons. Morrisons is also making big strides with trials for refillable salad boxes, and a new coffee pod recycling scheme.
The new milk cartons are made from plant-based and FSC certified paperboard. The change affects nine Morrisons fresh milk products including skimmed, semi-skimmed, and whole milk with various sizes from 500ml to 2 litre sizes.
Carton changes have also been applied to 14 of the company’s own brand fresh juice which helps remove another 678 tonnes of plastic every year.
Director for the dairy category at Morrisons, Tony Fearon, says: “Fresh milk does not need to be in a plastic bottle. It keeps just as fresh in a carton.
“Fresh milk is the top user of plastic packaging in our stores, so this will result in significant plastic reduction. Tetra Pak has also been independently verified as a better sustainable packaging option. If customers take to it, we could be looking to move all of our fresh milk to Tetra Pak cartons in time.”
Fresh milk is the top user of plastic packaging in our stores, so this will result in significant plastic reduction. Tetra Pak has also been independently verified as a better sustainable packaging option.”
The company was voted the most environmentally responsible in the UK in 2019 thanks to its work in reducing plastic. The move to Tetra Pak cartons will save an initial 100 tonnes of a plastic a year.
Fresh milk is currently one of the single biggest users of plastic packaging in UK supermarkets, accounting for approximately 10% of all plastic used. With previous trials into long-life glass milk bottles, and its newest venture, Morrisons hopes to support more local dairy farmers and encourage customers to reuse more packaging.
Collaborations with CauliBox and Podback are both a part of Morrison’s waste reduction initiative, as the company encourages customers to recycle hard to dispose of materials.
Previously the supermarket has introduced paper carrier bags, paper toilet roll packaging, and plastic-free bananas. These latest moves provide new opportunities for material and packaging suppliers which can help retailers drastically cut down waste.
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