DAY THE TIDE TRULY TURNED

Over 40 of the biggest supermarket, food and drink brands announce landmark ban on single-use plastic

SUPERMARKETS and food and drink giants will today vow to kill off throwaway plastic.

In a world first, 42 household names have set a deadline of 2025 to eliminate packaging that cannot be reused.

Black ready-meal trays, crisp packets, pizza bases and food pouches are all covered by the ‘UK Plastics Pact’. It represents another stunning victory for the Daily Mail’s ten-year campaign against the tide of plastic waste polluting our streets, fields, seas and oceans.

Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Aldi, Lidl and Pret a Manger have all signed the pact.

They are joined by food and drink giants including Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Nestle, Unilever

and Danone. Michael Gove backed the initiative last night. ‘Our ambition to eliminate avoidable plastic waste will only be realised if government, businesses and the public work together,’ said the Environment Secretary at the launch of the pact in London.

‘Industry action can prevent excess plastic reaching our supermarket shelves in the first place. I am delighted to see so many businesses sign up to this pact and I hope others will soon follow suit.’

The initiative will not see plastic packaging completely removed from shelves. Plastic packs and bottles will be exempt if they can be reused, recycled or composted.

Some supermarkets are going even further. Morrisons will today announce a trial in some stores on removing plastic packaging from fruit and vegetables.

It will also allow customers to bring their own containers for products bought from butcher and fishmonger counters.

Iceland, which has led the attack on plastic waste, is also promising radical action.

Richard Walker, the supermarket chain’s boss, said: ‘We have taken the decision not to participate directly in the pact because we have already taken a more far-reaching decision to eliminate plastic packaging from our own label range in its entirety by 2023.

‘Given the scale of our ambition, we feel that is right to focus all Iceland’s resources on delivering this.’ The pact is supported by industry groups, by Keep Britain Tidy and by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which campaigns to protect the oceans.

Dame Ellen, who has set multiple sailing records, said: ‘This bold new pact will bring together businesses, policymakers and the public to create a circular economy for plastics that tackles the causes of plastic waste and pollution, not just the symptoms. Focusing on innovation, better packaging design and end-of-use systems will not only generate long-term benefits for the environment, but is also a huge economic opportunity.

‘We encourage others around the world to help drive this momentum towards global solutions to what is a global problem.’

Louise Edge of Greenpeace welcomed the initiative but insisted even more work was needed. ‘Action from the companies producning and selling much of the singleuse plastic in circulation is absolutely vital if we’re to stem the flow of rubbish into our oceans,’ she said. ‘And for this effort to succeed it is crucial companies go beyond just making products recyclable – they need to turn the tap off at the source. This means cutting the overall amount of throwaway plastic being produced.’

The Marine Conservation Society said it was important that voluntary measures from firms did not become a substitute for legislative action.

Earlier this month Theresa May signalled a total ban on plastic cotton buds, straws and drink stirrers to help protect the oceans. And Mr Gove is to bring in a deposit and return scheme on drinks bottles and cans.

Marcus Gover, of waste advisory group Wrap, said: ‘Together, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rethink and reshape the future of plastic so that we retain its value, and curtail the damage plastic waste wreaks on our planet.

‘This requires a wholescale transformation of the plastics system and can only be achieved by bringing together all links in the chain under a shared commitment to act. That is what makes the UK Plastics Pact unique. It unites everybody, business and organisation with a will to act on plastic pollution. We will never have a better time to act, and together we can.’

The Mail’s campaign started with a drive to cut down on supermarket carrier bags – achieving success with the introduction of the 5p levy. The focus switched to microbeads, throwaway coffee cups, plastic bottles, straws and pointless packaging. This newspaper has also launched the Great Plastic Pick Up campaign, which has seen more than 8,000 readers sign up for almost 400 community litter clearing events next month.

£1MILLION raised from the 5p charge on plastic bags is to be used to research and combat ocean and beach pollution. The money, which goes to two charities, was raised from shoppers at Waitrose over the past year.

AS the biggest supermarkets and food and drinks firms in Britain sign a pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic packaging by 2025, this is a momentous day for the Mail’s globally acclaimed crusade to protect the environment, oceans and wildlife from the scourge of needless pollutants.

It began ten years ago with our Banish the Bags campaign – crowned with triumph when the 5p charge changed shoppers’ habits and cut the number of unrecyclable plastic bags handed out by a dramatic 85 per cent.

Our focus then moved to microbeads in beauty and cleaning products, as well as throwaway coffee cups, plastic bottles and straws – prompting a remarkable shift in public and political attitudes.

Next came our Great Plastic Pick Up, which has led more than 8,500 readers to sign up for almost 400 community litterclearing events next month.

Now, as more than 40 household names (including global titans such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo) sign today’s UK Plastic Pact, the momentum is truly unstoppable.

Yes, we could wish for an earlier deadline than seven years – and we trust many of these firms will act more quickly.

But the Mail is hugely proud of its part in bringing about this world-first agreement to leave a cleaner, greener planet to our grandchildren. It could not have been achieved without our magnificent readers.