In the first week of February, Asda joins Sainsburys and Tesco in their initiative to reduce plastic use by scrapping 5p single-use carrier bags. The supermarket chain also pledged to reduce its own-brand plastic products and packaging including plastic straws and polystyrene. This follows the 5p carrier bag tax which came into effect less than three years ago – demonstrating the domino effect of eco-initiatives.
The move is part of Asda’s ‘Plastic Unwrapped’ pledge in which they aim to ‘phase out the use of the carrier bags by the end of 2018’ in favour of re-cyclable bags for life. extends to café’s, in which plastic cups and cutlery will be replaced with re-usable alternatives. The agenda ultimately aims to place ASDA as Britains most trusted retailer. In an uplifting statement, Asda’s president and chief executive Roger Burnley said: ‘I truly believe that when you serve 18 million people each week and have the ability to make a difference to them, you should do it’.
The radical action by supermarket giants has sparked a national debate in who should pay to clean up plastic waste. An increase of nature television programmes including Blue Planet II have created a widespread exposure on the damage discarded plastic does to our oceans; from dying seagulls to suffocating whales. According to a Ellen MacArthur Foundation report launched at the World Economic Forum, if current pollution rates continue, there will be more plastic in the sea than fish in 2050.
According to The Guardian, Taxpayers currently pay 90% of the cost of recycling, while the remainders are placed on fossil fuels which generate the plastic. As a result, the public is paying to clean up the messes of corporations.
Asda’s green initiative has arrived at the right time; however perhaps a more effective strategy could be for the supermarkets themselves to pay for their public waste to be recycled. If the government rewarded retailers for their sustainable initiatives and raised charges on packaging which is difficult to recycle, this would reduce the demand for deadly plastics at the source.
