In a first for UK supermarkets, triangular sandwich wrappers in Waitrose will soon be easier to recycle.
Waitrose claims to be the first supermarket to launch the more easily recyclable sandwich wrapper and said all its own-label packaging will be widely recyclable, reusable or home compostable by 2025.
Waitrose has worked with packaging manufacturer RAP, and sandwich producers Melton Foods and Greencore on the new sandwich wrappers.
The supermarket said the move was being achieved by making the cardboard sandwich packaging easy to separate from the plastic film, which isn’t recyclable.
While the cardboard element of sandwich packaging can easily be recycled, Waitrose found customers and processors were having difficulty separating the cardboard from the see-through film part of the pack.
It said in a statement that making the film easily removable from the cardboard – via a peelable tab – would mean there was no reason why the cardboard could not be recycled.
Waitrose is confident that the change, due to be introduced in August, will see more packaging from Britain’s favourite lunchtime snack recycled.
And even if customers throw the whole pack away, processors should now be able to separate the paper element from the film.
Karen Graley, Waitrose packaging manager, said: “The change to our sandwich packaging may seem like a small one, but it’s likely to make a big impact on the amount of packaging recycled.
“We continue to work on a solution to the pack’s plastic film in the hope that, in the future, none of the sandwich pack will go to landfill.
“Our ambition for 100% of our own-label packaging being widely recyclable, reusable or home compostable by 2025 is set to make a tangible difference to the environment.”
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