Flexible plastic packaging now accepted for recycling at major supermarkets

Big supermarket chains have started to recycle flexible plastic packaging. The innovative recycling system allows customers to recycle Polypropylene (PP) film found in household plastic products.

Most UK councils don’t accept flexible plastic packaging, which means consumers cannot recycle it at home.
With this initiative, Sainsbury’s and Tesco make it easier for the consumers to reduce the amount of plastic waste that goes into landfills.

Customers can recycle flexible plastic packaging into the same recycling bins currently provided in Sainsbury’s stores that collect PE plastics (plastic carrier bags).

List of flexible plastic packaging accepted for recycling at Sainsbury’s:

Please ensure the items are clean and any sticky labels removed, if possible.

Dry food flexible plastic

Bread
Cereal
Rice & dry food bags
Confectionery, biscuit & cake wrappers
Crisp & snack packets

Other food flexible plastic

Cheese wrap
Peelable film lids
Frozen food bags
Fruit/vegetable/salad bags & flower wrapping
Multipack film wrap
Clingfilm & sleeves on bottles

Pouches & sachets

Coffee
Confectionery, homecare, sauce/ baby food/pet food / microwavable food pouches
Toiletries refill pouches
Packets and sachets

Non-food flexible plastic

Carrier bags, clothing bags
Bubble wrap
Magazine & newspaper wrappers
Toilet roll & kitchen roll wrapping

Is recycling the answer to plastic pollution?

A considerable amount of waste that goes into our recycling bins is not recyclable from an economic perspective.

Increasingly, councils have to dispose of many items because there is not enough value in the materials to make them worth recycling.

Recycling is a business, which means it is profitable only if there is a demand for recycled products.

Also, it is often cheaper to use virgin supplies than it is to use recycled materials.

Recycling may be better than diverting plastics in the landfill, but we can only recycle these materials a limited number of times.

That is why recycling is not an indefinitely sustainable option. The packaging companies will need to invest funds in research and development projects to create sustainable food-preserving solutions.