Mercadona Eliminates Single-Use Plastic Products
Dhaka, 28 March, 2021: MERCADONA eliminates single-use disposable plastic products
As part of its 6.25 Strategy to reduce the use of plastic by 25 per cent by 2025, supermarket Mercadona has eliminated all single-use disposable plastic products from its stores and replaced them with more sustainable materials. Through this initiative, the company will invest some €140million to make all packaging recyclable and, in turn, recycle any plastic waste it might generate.
In January, the grocery chain stopped using plastic bags in its physical stores and online deliveries, replacing them with compostable bags made from potato starch, resulting in a 3,200 tonne reduction in plastic.
Having now done-away with the likes of single-use picnic plates and cutlery, Mercadona has introduced new kitchenware made from environmentally friendly materials such as cardboard, wood and sugar cane. The new products are dishwasher safe and one hundred per cent recyclable. Through their commitment to the environment, this new action will reduce the amount of plastic used by 3,000 tonnes per year – the equivalent of 120 truck-loads.
In the last six months, Mercadona has adapted 72 stores in Spain and Portugal to the 6.25 Store model, which will be extended to the entire chain throughout 2021.
Last month, it was reported that the supermarket chain had donated 3,327 tonnes of products to soup kitchens, food banks, and other charities throughout Andalucía during 2020, which is the equivalent of 55,450 normal shopping trolleys.