Dairy and packaging duo work to reduce virgin plastic use

Saputo Dairy UK, a supplier of dairy for British food brands including Marks & Spencer, has worked together with packaging company Wipak to reduce the amount of virgin plastic that is used in cheese block packaging.

Through the partnership, the two companies reduced the amount of virgin plastic used by 33%, replacing it with post-consumer recycled (PCR) material and thus reducing the amount of plastic making its way into landfill. The change is part of a commitment to sustainability by both companies involved.

“In 2020, we pledged to accelerate our global waste performance and announced clear targets to reduce our material use, increase the recycled or renewable content of our packaging and ensure that all of our packaging is either recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. This PCR project is a significant step towards helping us achieve this goal,” said Neil Richards, Lead Packaging Manager at Saputo Dairy UK.

“Consumers are well aware of the environmental and social impacts of plastics, and, increasingly, the plastic content of a product is influencing buying habits. One of the greatest challenges to increasing the recycled content across plastic packaging is the availability of food-grade recycled plastics, so we were particularly pleased that Wipak UK was able to incorporate a PCR resin that not only preserved the look and feel of the previously used material, but maintained the integrity of the packs too.”

The new cheese packages have been introduced into Marks & Spencer stores throughout November but, due to availability of the PCR resin, will be sold only for a limited amount of time. However, it is expected that PCR resins will see further use by the dairy brand in the future.

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