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How Supermarkets Are Changing to Become More Environmentally Friendly
How Supermarkets Are Changing to Become More Environmentally Friendly
The push to save our planet is reaching its peak, with both individuals and companies across the globe taking action to reduce their carbon footprint. Supermarkets are a large centre of consumption and high turnaround of materials, goods and waste – the perfect place to make change on a big scale.
In this article, we’ll explore the main ways that supermarket chains are altering how they operate to become more eco-friendly.
Scrapping plastic bags
It was a step in the right direction when the government decided that all large shops must charge 5p for single use carrier bags. Some stores, such as Aldi and Asda, have pledged to take this one step further by eliminating single use plastic bags entirely, not even offering it as an option to shoppers. The aim of these charges and bans is to encourage the use of reusable bags for life, greatly reducing the circulation of plastic bags.
Cutting out cups and straws
Some supermarkets, such as Waitrose, are removing any single use plastic straws and disposable coffee cups across all stores. Asda has plans to replace coffee cups and straws with reusable alternatives to curb plastic waste and promote greener alternatives. These plastic throw-away items are devastating to the world’s oceans, and moves to stop their production and usage are at the forefront of many companies at the moment.
Selling flawed fruit
Not many of us mind a bruise on our fruit, and yet supermarkets throw away tonnes of edible fruit and veg each year because it’s not quite up to par. To bypass this, Lidl have begun to sell ‘Too Good to Waste’ boxes, which contain damaged fruit and vegetables for a reduced price. Since the scheme has launched, hundreds of tonnes of food has been saved from being wasted.
Paring down on packaging
Without a doubt, all food is overburdened by excess packaging – often to an unnecessary level. Some supermarkets have been recognising this, such as Iceland – they have trialled alternative packaging, including greengrocer bags, compostable containers, and other plastic-free options. The company aims to roll these alternatives out to all stores by 2023. Tesco have also claimed that they want their packaging to all be either recyclable or compostable by 2025, with other big names following suit.
Plastic bottle deposit schemes
When we’re grabbing our lunch on a day-to-day basis, we’re likely to get through lots of plastic bottles – unless we’re making a conscious choice to buy cartoned or canned drinks instead. Some supermarkets, such as Iceland, have launched a plastic bottle recycling scheme is selected stores, rewarding shoppers with small gift vouchers for any deposits.
Here at Brown Recycling, we’re committed to zero-to-waste landfill, and are dedicated to recycling 100% of the waste we collect. With over 80 years’ experience, you can count on our family-run business to take care of any amount of waste – on both a domestic and commercial level. For easy skip hire and waste management services across Staffordshire and beyond, get in touch today.
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What our clients say about us
“We are hugely grateful to Brown Recycling for their help on DIY SOS: The Big Build in Stoke. Dave and the team went above and beyond to clear the site and then bring in other suppliers who also supported this great cause. Thanks to the generosity of countless suppliers and volunteers, Stoke now has a community centre that will support its residents for many years to come.”
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Excellent service on a recent Hazardous waste removal from one of our sites. Paddy and Stacey wasted no time in arranging for our waste to be removed in surprisingly quick turnaround. 10/10...
1 week ago -
Hired a skip to clear a huge pile of garden waste. Arrived on time, picked up bang on time, dead easy to book and pay. Courteous, helpful drivers. Job done! just as it should be, without drama. Highly...
1 month ago -
Very professional service and the customer service team are very helpful and knowledgeable. We have been working with browns and using their services for a number of years and cannot fault it. Very co...
1 month ago -
Terry was very efficient. We will use brown for skips again...
2 months ago -
Had problems with getting the skip into our drive but Browns persisted and 3 trucks later the 3rd driver got the job done. Incredible service from a very professional and competent company. Special me...
2 months ago -
Really efficient service, competitive price and they dropped off skip exactly where we asked them to. Easy to book a skip over the weekend using their online booking system. Very helpful when we nee...
3 months ago -
I ordered a skip at short notice and it arrived as requested. Having finished with it early Terry came and collected it very promptly which freed up the driveway. A Good service and reasonably priced....
3 months ago -
Brilliant service - I booked for the wrong date, but Browns were really helpful and changed the booking at the last minute....
4 months ago -
We chose Brown Recycling because out of the firms we rang the lady on the end of the phone knew exactly what we needed and was very helpful. ( Yes you can place a skip in a council paying car park) A...
5 months ago -
A big thanks to Phil, always helpful and polite when collecting cardboard, nothing too much trouble ....
5 months ago -
Christie has been great in providing us with a total review of our waste services on site. If you are looking at reviewing your waste service then I would highly recommend that you reach out to her as...
6 months ago -
really fast and a easy process. Thank you Christie...
6 months ago -
Christie has been most helpful and informative whilst booking a new service for plastic and general waste recycling. Would recommend :)...
6 months ago -
Christie was very helpful, she managed the whole process very efficiently and met our expectations. We now have the service and commercial offering we need for our business waste. We would recommend...
9 months ago -
Quick and really reliable service.... was a pleasure dealing with Christie!!!...
9 months ago -
Requested amendment to current waste collection. Very helpful and was able to answer all queries and adapt to our requirements. Definitely recommend...
10 months ago -
We had a visit today from Mark and Andy dropping off our new waste bin. I would just like to acknowledge their outstanding customer service. They disposed of the built up waste that we had gathered si...
11 months ago -
Full marks to Andy and Mark. Went above and beyond today and would highly recommend them to anybody looking to recycle large quantities of waste. Professional, efficient and very approachable...
11 months ago -
First time using Browns, they were clear, efficient and got the job done. Will continue to use their services....
1 year ago -
New to sorting a bin service for our new business. Christie and Brown Recyling has been great with helping us select the right type of bin required as well as not overspending for the sake of it. He...
1 year ago -
Super easy to set up a long term skip hire, Christie made things nice and clear and the prices were good too! everything was ready to go really quick, highly recommend Browns...
1 year ago