Packaging News
Following its announcement to commit to become the first major retailer globally to eliminate plastic packaging from all of its own brand products by the end of 2023, the frozen food specialist said that the first ranges to be rolled out as part of the initiative will save a total of 150 tonnes of plastic every year.
Iceland said the two new own-brand ranges – Mumbai Street Co and Hungry Heroes – provide shoppers with great value, quality food, inside environmentally-friendly packaging.
The supermarket chain has used the latest technologies to create packaging for the new ranges comprising paper based trays which are recyclable through domestic waste collection or in-store recycling facilities.
Richard Walker, Iceland managing director, is driving the initiative to demonstrate the potential for the entire supermarket retail sector to go plastic-free as far as possible.
“We’ve been working on our plastic-free pledge for the last 18 months and wanted to quickly demonstrate our commitment to it. The launch of these latest ranges in new recyclable board trays is just the start of Iceland’s journey to becoming plastics-free,” he said. “The ranges have been carefully developed so that shoppers can now enjoy fantastic quality food at great prices, without future generations having to pay for their dinner.”
The launch marks a landmark partnership with Alder Hey Children’s Charity with five pence from every pack of Hungry Heroes going to the cause.
Iceland head chef, Neil Nugent, who developed the new ranges, added: “These are two of our biggest own-brand launches to date and are a culmination of a year of research and development. “Hungry Heroes has been developed with kids’ favourite dishes in mind and we are delighted that it will also benefit the Alder Hey Children’s Charity. Mumbai Street Co was informed directly by Britain’s changing eating habits and we are the first retailer to launch an Indian street food range. This is high quality, well-researched food, all wrapped in sustainable packaging.”
The plastic elimination initiative was developed in consultation with Greenpeace. Following Iceland’s pledge, 200 MPs from seven different political parties have written to the chief executives of the UK major supermarket chains urging them to eliminate plastic packaging from their products by 2023.
