70% of supermarkets’ 'take-back' soft plastic is burnt

Everyday Plastic and EIA UK urge government to support a 40% cut in global plastic production by 2040, and appeal to Sainsbury’s and Tesco to get behind the call   

A new investigation reports that, of the tracked soft plastic packaging waste collected for recycling at Sainsbury's and Tesco stores, 70% of the waste that reached a known destination was burnt, not recycled.

The Hard Truth About Soft Plastic, carried out by non-profit organisation, Everyday Plastic and the Environmental Investigation Agency UK (EIA), tracked 40 bundles of soft plastic packaging waste — such as clingfilm and shopping bags — through take-back schemes at Sainsbury’s and Tesco across England from July 2023 and February 2024. Collectively, the bundles were found to have travelled over 25,000km across the UK and overseas.

Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s take-back schemes aim to encourage customers to return their single-use soft plastic, bags, film and wrapping for recycling. While the majority was found to be burned, the report states that the rest ended up at recycling facilities that downcycle soft plastic waste into lower value products — the majority of which were in Turkey.

Alison Colclough, Research Director at Everyday Plastic said, “The majority of the bundles of soft plastic we tracked ended up being burned for energy recovery — a solution that is being deployed more and more in order to deal with the unmanageable amount of plastic waste. 

“The take-back schemes are…diverting attention from the main issue that can’t be overlooked: far too much unnecessary plastic packaging is being produced.” 

“Supermarkets, waste companies and the government acknowledge that there are significant challenges to recycling soft plastic. Our tracker investigation supports these claims and shows that soft plastic is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recycle at scale. The take-back schemes are being presented as a solution, which is diverting attention from the main issue that can’t be overlooked: far too much unnecessary plastic packaging is being produced.”

Campaigners are now calling for the government, and Sainsbury's and Tesco, to publicly and urgently support a 40% cut in global plastic production by 2040.

Lauren Weir, Senior Ocean Campaigner, EIA said “Plastic waste exports cause environmental and human health harm. Other countries should not bear the brunt of the UK’s high production rate of this waste material and inability to effectively treat it domestically.

“Their continued export only further serves to evidence the need to significantly reduce the placement of this type of packaging on the UK market in addition to banning the export of UK plastic waste.”

Currently, only 12% of local authorities collect soft plastics at the kerbside — a number that has been declining for the last five years. It is hoped supermarket schemes will help create a market for soft plastic recycling ahead of the mandated kerbside collection across the UK, expected in 2027.

A Tesco spokesperson said that where it is not possible to recycle the soft plastic collected at its stores, it puts it to alternative uses to avoid it going to landfill — for example, using it for energy recovery.

"We know there is a lot more progress to be made, and the infrastructure to recycle soft plastics at scale in the UK and the EU still has a way to go,” said a Tesco’s spokesperson. “We are committed to working constructively with the industry and government to find new solutions for all materials, including those previously considered waste."

Sainsbury’s recently improved its in-store signage to clarify which flexible plastics are accepted for recycling. A spokesperson said, “The majority is in good condition and so is recycled. However, when materials are soiled or damaged, then they may need to be converted for energy, which is managed by our supplier.” 

Everyday Plastic and EIA UK is urging the government to implement a series of policy measures to cut plastic production, ban plastic waste exports, promote reuse and refill, and a suite of other recommendations.