The stranglehold that plastic packaging has on our food and drink shopping

Over half of supermarket food and drink is packaged in unnecessary plastic, according to new analysis which has highlighted up to 29.8 billion unnecessary pieces of plastic are being produced annually.

New analysis has revealed that over half of supermarket food and drink is packaged in unnecessary plastic, amounting to an estimated 29.8 billion superfluous pieces of plastic being produced annually.

The research, conducted by Retail Economics on behalf of FTSE100 sustainable packaging company DS Smith, also found that a quarter of food and drink companies are falling behind on their individual packaging goals, the majority of which are set for 2026, leaving just two years to act.

The first-of-its-kind analysis examined the packaging materials of 1,500 supermarket groceries to assess the extent to which plastic packaging dominates food and drink shopping.

The Material Change Index identified that more than half (51%) of food and drink items available in UK supermarkets are unnecessarily packaged in plastic that can be safely replaced with alternatives.

The research showed that the majority of that plastic packaging came from processed foods, including ready-meals and meal kits (90% of which are packaged in plastic), bread, rice and cereals (89%), dairy products (83%), and meat and fish (80%).

The findings come ahead of the government’s Circular Economy Strategy, which is expected to set out plans to reduce single-use plastics and increase the use of recycled content in packaging.

Miles Roberts, Group Chief Executive of DS Smith, said: “The Material Change Index shows that while good progress has been made, there is evidently a great deal more to do. We think government can and should be more demanding of us all - phasing out certain plastics to help create a level playing field that encourages innovation, investment, and generates healthy competition to replace plastic.

“Working with some of the biggest brands in the world we estimate that we have been able to replace more than 1 billion pieces of plastic over the last four years, but it is the tip of the iceberg and we must do more.

“The opportunity to meet consumer demand for more sustainable packaging is significant and we hope the government’s forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy will find ways to support the use of materials that are more readily recyclable.”

A survey of European food manufacturers and retailers, carried out as part of the research, found that almost all (98%) respondents have commitments to reduce plastic packaging.

Three in five (60%) have two years or less left to reach their voluntary targets, but a quarter (25%) say they are off track to reach them. Two in five (40%) identified the cost of raw material as the biggest obstacle, closely followed by the fear that consumers would not accept changes (39%).

European food manufacturers and retailers also expressed concerns that shifts in packaging would make them uncompetitive. Seven in ten (72%) believe that shoppers would not want to pay extra for sustainable packaging and nearly two thirds (65%) think they wouldn’t want to sacrifice convenience for sustainability.

The Material Change Index analysed packaging materials in 25 of the most popular supermarkets across six European markets: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland. The findings showed that the UK is the most reliant on plastic packaging, with 70% of all food and drink items on British shelves containing plastic3 compared to Spain (67%), Italy (66%), Germany (66%), Poland (62%) and France (59%).

DS Smith estimates that 84% of unnecessary plastic in the UK can be replaced or significantly reduced by fibre-based alternatives right now, and the company is continuing to invest in finding new solutions. This includes funding a global Research & Development and Innovation Centre, that is designed to accelerate radical innovation in packaging and running pilot programmes with some of the largest FMCG businesses.