2 Sisters leads food manufacturing sector with plastics strategy

2 Sister Food Group is today announcing a wide-ranging initiative to lead the food processing sector in using less and recycling more plastic at its businesses.

The Group is committing to massive reductions in plastic packaging by 2020 and pledging to phase out its use of un-recyclable bottles and cups at all of its 36 sites in the UK by the end of 2018.

Highlights from its 2018 recycling strategy include:

• 90% of all of plastic components in our branded products will be recyclable by 2020;
• Working with our customers, we will ensure 90% of the packaging we use will be recyclable by 2020;
• All 23,000 colleagues will have access to re-useable or recyclable cups or mugs, all un-recyclable cups and bottles will be phased out by the end of 2018. Recycling points will be installed at all sites;
• Innovative collaboration with retailers and suppliers to develop closed loop solutions to increase packaging recycling;
• Constantly reviewing targets in line with developing technology to move further up the waste hierarchy.

Ranjit Singh, President of Boparan Holdings Limited, said: “Plastic packaging has played a critical role in reducing food waste and extending shelf life of products, but the environmental impact of this material must be addressed by the whole food system.

“We need a culture change to make the biggest difference – both in the way we use plastics for our products and how we use plastics in our everyday lives. So we’re totally committed to putting in place some stretching targets I know my teams in the business are eager to achieve in the next 20 months.

“We already operate responsibly and through our company’s sustainability plan, called Feeding Our Future, but we are keen to take things further than ever before. We have collaborated with our suppliers, partners and customers on reducing and improving recyclability of plastic packaging for several years, and now we will do so again to achieve a real step-change by 2020.

“This is a complex issue that requires the involvement, collaboration and innovation of all parties involved in the production, distribution, retail and consumption of food, and we want to act as the lead partner in this.

As part of the 2018 review of our sustainability plan we will follow the waste hierarchy of Prevent, Re use and Recycle.

2 Sisters will also pledge to report publically on progress of its 2018 strategy in 12 months’ time.