Checking Out on Plastics III

For the third year, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Greenpeace UK have surveyed the major supermarkets and grocery retailers in the UK on their efforts to reduce plastic pollution.

In 2018, our survey established a baseline of commitments made by the sector and the 2017 state-of-play for plastic use in stores and supply chains based on the data provided by the retailers. In 2019, we measured progress made and found that, despite the stated aims of many companies, the total volume of plastic packaging had gone up in 2018, not down.

This third report analyses 2019 plastic use across the sector, with a view to understanding whether the companies were able to change course and make a tangible difference in reducing their plastic footprint.