Summer is in full swing, and with it we’re out and about a lot more. But we can and should still be conscious of the impact we have on the world around us. To mark World Environment Day on 5 August, Jess Collins, ethics, sustainability & policy officer at Co-op, shares her top recycling tips and advice.
At Co-op we’re committed to recycling. Where we can, we’ve replaced plastic packaging with cardboard, to reduce our single-use plastic. We’ve also made changes like making our milk bottle lids a lighter colour so they’re easier for recycling machines to sort. Most importantly though, all our own-brand food packaging can be recycled. So, whenever you pop into a Co-op across the UK this summer, you can do your bit by recycling.
Soft plastic scheme
We rolled out our soft plastic recycling scheme in 2021, and you can now find recycling bins in over 800 Co-op stores. They’re designed to make recycling soft plastic easier than ever, whether it’s after a picnic in the park, on your summer hols in Cornwall, or during a weekend away in Bath. Wherever you are in the UK* this summer, you can pop into your local Co-op store to recycle your soft plastics – just remember to give them a quick clean before putting them in the recycling bin. We’ve also pulled together a handy list of what can and can’t be recycled in our soft plastic scheme; it includes all our own soft plastic, plus soft plastic from other retailers.
A quick reminder on how to recycle:
- Separate all your food waste, hard plastics and soft plastics
- Use your Co-op compostable carrier bag for your food waste
- Put your hard plastics in a local or kerbside recycling bin
- Give your soft plastic packaging a quick wash, then search for your nearest Co-op store to recycle it
At Co-op, we’ve removed over 331 tonnes of plastic from our fresh fruit and veg packaging over the last two years. And with over 2,300 collection points across Co-op stores, we estimate to be collecting over 110 tonnes a week from the soft plastic recycling bins. Which goes to show when we all do a little, we can achieve a lot.
Reduce your plastic use this summer
Here are some extra tips so you can reuse and recycle as much as possible:
- Make sure any plastic you do use is recycled, either in your local recycling bin for things like hard plastics, or in a soft plastic recycling bin in a Co-op store.
- Reduce the single-use plastic you use – take reusable cutlery with you before you go on a picnic or use wooden alternatives, for example.
- Invest in reusable containers and bags for your shopping – these are great for things like loose fruit and veg. And of course, remember to take a tote bag or bag for life to carry your shopping in.
Clean it. Scrunch it. Co-op it. You can find more information on our soft plastic recycling here , or search for your nearest recycling facility. *excluding the Scottish islands and very small Co-op stores across the UK.
More information available at – https://www.coop.co.uk/environment/soft-plastics