Tesco wants to pay shoppers for returning plastic bottles
The supermarket giant announced plans to ban non-recyclable plastic packaging by 2019
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Tesco is trialling in-store recycling machines that will pay customers 10p for every plastic bottle they return as part of a new sustainability scheme.
The initiative is currently taking place at selected stores in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, Swansea, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham and will be rolled out across the country if deemed a success.
The move comes after the supermarket giant revealed its plans to ban all non-recyclable plastic packaging by 2019.
UK consumers go through roughly 13 billion plastic bottles a year, with more than three billion being incinerated or sent to landfill and subsequently polluting our land and seas.
Naturally, there is a limit to how many bottles can be deposited in the machines at one time, with shoppers able to return up to 10 bottles each per day.
In terms of the kinds of bottles that people can return, the machines will accept everything aside from own-brand products from other supermarkets.
The recycling machines are expected to be popular among customers, as a recent YouGov poll revealed that 74 per cent of British consumers would return plastic bottles and aluminium cans under a deposit return scheme.
Tesco’s UK CEO Jason Tarry re-iterated that the scheme forms part of a wider aim to promote sustainability and inspire other retailers and manufacturers to follow suit.
“We would urge the government to move to a single, nationwide approach to waste collection that makes it much easier for people to recycle,” he said.
The supermarket also introduced a “bring your own container” scheme in October, which encourages customers to fill their own containers with food purchased from Tesco’s deli counters as opposed to using plastic or cardboard options available in-store.
However, these must be multi-use plastic sealable containers; metal, glass and cardboard ones will not be accepted.
Tesco’s new sustainability measures come after several other supermarkets set out similar plans to be more eco-friendly.
In April, Morrisons pledged to make all its packaging recyclable by 2025 while Lidl vowed to remove black plastic from its fruit and vegetable packaging, saving an estimated 50 tons of waste per year.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments