Tesco following in the footsteps of brewer by axing plastic pack rings
HARMFUL ITEMS HAVE BEEN POLLUTING OUR OCEANS FOR DECADES
TESCO is following in the footsteps of Burton brewer Molson Coors to remove plastic rings from its multipack cans as part of a recycling push.
Tesco has become the first retailer to scrap six-pack plastic rings on all beer and cider cans sold in its UK stores.
The items have been polluting the oceans for decades and endanger wildlife such as birds, sea turtles and dolphins by becoming trapped around their bodies and beaks.
The supermarket said it would stop ordering beer and ciders from brands that use them, or plastic shrink wrap, to hold together their cans. The move will lead to 50 million fewer pieces of new plastic being produced each year, it said.
It was revealed last month that Molson Coors, which brews from Station Street in the town, removed all plastic rings and introduced a fully recyclable and sustainable cardboard sleeve for all its major multipack brands, including Carling and Coors. Produced by paperbased solutions supplier Graphic
Packaging International, the onepiece cartonboard wrap features a shaped interior design that securely holds the cans, as well as a locking mechanism so that adhesive is not required to keep the box closed.
Made from renewable wood fibres from certified sources, the wrap contains up to 17 per cent recycled cartonboard, alongside virgin fibre for increased strength, improved machineability and stability in the supply chain.
The drinks giant said the move sees Molson Coors’ in the UK hit its target to remove all single-use plastic from Carling and Coors packaging by the end of April 2021, following the introduction of recyclable cardboard large-format multipacks in 2020.
Fraser Thomson, Western Europe operations director at Molson Coors, said: “As one of the UK’S largest brewers, we have a responsibility to champion sustainability in the sector and removing single-use plastic from across our operations is one of the ways we are meeting that responsibility as part of Our Imprint 2025 sustainability goals.”
Since 2019, the company has removed more than 700 tonnes of single-use plastic from its operations.