Courtauld Commitment 2 targets and signatories unveiled in Northern Ireland
04 March 2010
Using 2009 data and working to a 2012 deadline, Courtauld Commitment 2 moves away from solely weight-based targets and aims to achieve more sustainable use of resources over the entire lifecycle of products, throughout the whole supply chain.
The three new targets are:
- Packaging – to reduce the weight, increase recycling rates and increase the recycled content of all grocery packaging, as appropriate. Through these measures the aim is to reduce the carbon impact of this grocery packaging by 10%.
- Household food and waste – to reduce UK household food and drink wastes by 4%.
- Supply chain product and packaging waste – to reduce traditional grocery product and packaging waste in the grocery supply chain by 5% - this includes both solid and liquid wastes.
29 major retailers and brand owners have already signed up to Courtauld Commitment 2 to help WRAP deliver the targets (please refer to later list of signatories).
The announcement of the new targets follows the original Courtauld Commitment which was launched in 2005. Courtauld has succeeded in stopping growth in packaging despite increases in both sales and population in the UK. Some 500,000 tonnes less packaging was used over the period 2005 - 2009 – that’s enough waste to fill a queue of refuse trucks, bumper-to-bumper, stretching from Southampton to Newcastle.
Liz Goodwin, WRAP CEO, said: "One of the biggest challenges society faces over the next decade is reducing the environmental impact of the things we buy. This new agreement will bring about changes ranging from more efficient methods of production right through to the impact of household consumption."
It’s no longer enough to look at the impact of packaging alone – that’s why Courtauld Commitment 2 takes into account the environmental impact of product waste in the supply chain as well as at household level.
"We’re thrilled that so many signatories – old and new - have already committed to this new agreement, and we hope that many more will soon follow their example."
The Courtauld Commitment 2 launch in Northern Ireland was hosted by founding signatory, Musgrave Retail Partners NI at their facility at Dargan Drive, Belfast. Joining the Board of Musgrave Group and WRAP Northern Ireland at the launch, Environment Minister Edwin Poots said: "I fully support this new commitment which will contribute to the delivery of our Waste Strategy through minimising waste packaging and increasing the potential to recycle packaging.
"The new agreement, which builds on the achievements of the first commitment, contains innovative and stretching targets based on clear environmental goals. Meeting these targets should also result in the potential for cost savings on the part of the signatories through improvements in resource efficiency.
"I would take this opportunity to encourage businesses in the food retail and manufacturing sectors which are operating in Northern Ireland to sign up to the commitment in order to reduce the environmental impact of the products we buy."
Chris Martin, CEO, Musgrave Group said, "Musgrave and our Retail Partners are proud to be a founding signatory of Courtauld Commitment 2 as it allows us to build on earlier successes achieved under the initiative. This agreement fits well with our own strategy of exploring every opportunity to reduce the weight of packaging, increase its recycled content and drive improvements in recycling rates whilst reducing the over all carbon impact of packaging."
The 29 founding signatories are:
- AG Barr
- Alliance Boots
- Apetito
- Arla Foods
- Asda
- Britvic
- Constellation Europe
- Cooperative Retail
- Dairy Crest
- Danone Dairies
- Danone Water
- Fosters EMEA
- HJ Heinz
- Innocent Soft Drinks
- Mars (UK)
- Morrisons
- Molson Coors
- Muller Dairies
- Musgraves
- Nestle
- Northern Foods
- Robert Wisemans
- Sainsbury’s
- Tesco
- Unilever
- Vimto
- Waitrose
- Warburtons
- Weetabix
[1] The voluntary agreement between WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) and major grocery retailers and brand owners
Editor's notes
- Please click here for supporting information document containing quotes from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), Food & Drink Federation (FDF), IGD and founding signatories. (24 kb)
- WRAP’s vision is a world without waste, where resources are used sustainably. We work with businesses and individuals to help them reap the benefits of reducing waste, develop sustainable products and use resources in an efficient way.
- Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- More information on all of WRAP's programmes can be found on http://www.wrap.org.uk/with specific Courtauld information at www.wrap.org.uk/retail/courtauld_commitment
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