SA Plastics Pact retailer, Pick n Pay, has been directing efforts towards increasing recycled content (specially treated, factory and post-consumer waste material) into its packaging portfolio. Some examples of these efforts follow below:
- Grape boxes, made from cardboard and wrapped with LDPE shrink sleeve and a PP label, were replaced with ziplock bags. The bags are made from LDPE and are fully recyclable and have also resulted in a financial saving of R3.30 per bag. Additionally, these bags do not damage the fruit like the boxes did, thereby reducing food waste.
- Wineglass tags, which are attached to the knitted socks that some citrus is packed into, were previously imported. These are now being locally manufactured. Wineglass & swing tags used to be made of polymer mixes that were not recyclable and have now been converted to HDPE and are fully recyclable. These recyclable wineglass tags save 1581.08kg of plastic being used. By changing from RTE to narrow knitted sausage net we will use 2371.63kg less plastic.
- Fruit & vegetable bags are now printed used extended colour gamut (ECG) printing /digital flexographic print. ECG printing saves time, solvents and inks. Master Plastics groups the primary supplier for all produce articles has recently conducted trials on water-based inks. A full-scale trial in the 1st quarter of 2024 to move completely to water-based inks has commenced, and if successfully achieved this will save on solvents and other volatile organics significantly. Tests conducted confirm the equipment is suitable and printing plates will not need to be replaced.
- By using creative problem-solving approaches to generate new ideas, Pick n Pay has been able to reduce plastic packaging by 6.3 tonnes in the prepared meals category, and 7.5 tonnes in bakery. This was mostly due to the micron reduction of our mince pie skillets and our new suppliers for dips and pesto. Less packaging means less waste and less demand on landfill sites.
- Pick n Pay have removed all PVC form the Oral Care (15 Sku’s), Foot Care (10 Sku’s) and Cosmetic Range (30 Sku’s), to PET.
The SA Plastics Pact salutes Pick n Pay for its ongoing commitment to the Pact targets and the pursuit of a circular economy for plastic packaging in South Africa.
