Food retailer Iceland has today announced its commitment to the environment by becoming the first major retailer to eliminate plastic packaging from all own brand products by the end of 2023.
This announcement comes ahead of the opening of Iceland’s new store in Ballincollig, Co Cork on January 23.
In place of the plastic packaging, Iceland will be harnessing the latest technology to create a range of packaging comprising paper and pulp trays and paper bags.
The materials used will be recyclable through domestic waste collection or in-store recycling facilities.
Ron Metcalfe, Managing Director of Iceland Ireland said; “There is great awareness now of how much damage we are doing to the world with our use of plastic. At Iceland we are passionate about environmental matters, sustainability and helping to effect change.
"This initiative was created to do just that, make a change in the world. We hope to see that change as we move in the right direction with plastic-free packaging.
"Customers are relying on retailers to deliver meaningful change and we urge other supermarkets and the retail industry as a whole to follow suit in 2018.”
The supermarket will be providing regular updates on key milestones during the next five years as it transitions to plastic-free packaging.