The government should force UK supermarkets to reveal how much packaging they produce, local councils have suggested.
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The Local Government Association (LGA) said only M&S, Waitrose and Morrisons revealed details about how much packaging they produce, while Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Co-op all referred councils to WRAP.
However, WRAP responded to the LGA’s enquiry but failed to disclose how much packaging each supermarket produces. Lidl gave no reply at all.
In a letter to Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, the LGA, which represents over 350 councils in England, called for the information to be published so that shoppers can “see hard evidence to back up supermarkets’ claims that they are taking the problem of packaging seriously.”
The LGA is calling on WRAP to publish, every three months, the amount of packaging each supermarket produces so that shoppers can compare and see which perform the best and worst at cutting back.
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By GlobalDataCouncil leaders said that while people are recycling more rubbish, their efforts are being undermined by supermarkets using excessive packaging, which adds to the estimated GBP1.8bn (US$2.9bn) local authorities will spend on landfill tax between 2008 and 2011.
In her letter to Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, LGA chairman Cllr Margaret Eaton, said: “Supermarkets must be open with people about how much packaging they are producing. It is vital that consumers can make informed choices about where they shop and which products they buy.
“Until it is clear that each supermarket is playing its part, how can we assess whether the targets are tough enough? We all need to ensure we are sending less rubbish to landfill and that supermarkets play their part in this.”
The LGA said consumers should not have to pay higher prices at the tills because supermarkets are reluctant to curb excessive packaging
