Like most people, we try and do our best in terms of recycling. We’re also keen composters – I grow vegetables, so non-protein food waste along with garden cuttings all go into the compost bins and heaps, and eventually back into the soil. We also recycle into the various waste bins for collection ass diligently as possible.
But it is hard sometimes to know whether we’re doing the right thing with food packaging. In particular, it is frustrating at time trying to work out exactly what ca be put in the recycling bin and what can’t. Sometimes it is a sheer lack of information on the packaging, so I’m left guessing as to whether Surrey Heath can accept it into the recycling system. And sometimes the information is confusing. For instance, I am very fond of Lidl’s Gorgonzola cheese. But it is a good example of how to confuse consumers with the packaging and the recycling labelling.
On the front of the pack, there is a nice green circle with a recycling logo and the words “improving and reducing” and “packaging responsibly”. It doesn’t explain what that means on the front, but on the back of the pack, it says “we’ve removed the plastic overlid from the product”.
OK, I see… the product used to come with a tray on which the cheese sits, then a clear plastic film sealing the cheese in the pack, and then an additional semi-hard plastic lid over the whole package. So removing that plastic lid, which clearly was unnecessary, is indeed good news. (I don’t know if the lid was made from recyclable material).
On the rear of the pack there is also the triangle symbol, which many people think defines the plastic as being recyclable. But really, it just tells you what sort of plastic is being used. On this pack, it is so small I can’t work out what the number or symbol is inside the triangle though. But then, it also says “Don’t Recycle” on the pack . (We think the tray might be a polystyrene product, by the way, and it may well be a “6” in the triangle!).
So what is all this about? It is confusing and annoying. A pack that claims to use “responsible packaging” with that logo on the front, boasts about removing a useless piece of packaging but then says, “Don’t Recycle”. Is this greenwashing? And what is the point of an illegible triangle?
I sent a message to Lidl via Twitter last weekend and they came back to say “Thanks for getting in touch! We’ve passed this to our Quality Assurance Team for more help and they’ll be in touch with you when their office reopens. In the meantime, please keep a hold of your product packaging - Sarah…. “
I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, come on food industry packaging buyers (I used to be one…) - get your act together!
