Website of the UK government

Choosing less packaging when you shop

There are lots of ways you can use less packaging, such as:

• using refill packs instead of purchasing fully packaged products each time you need something – and this saves money too
• buying eggs loose at the market or butcher and reusing old cartons to bring them home
• buying fruit and vegetables loose rather than in packaging trays or boxes – buying only what you need so you tend to waste less food
• avoiding highly packaged items
• looking for packs marked as light-weighted that use less packaging
• buying one big pack which may use less packaging than two small ones – which could also save you money
  

• How consumer demand is driving packaging reduction Opens new window

Say ‘no’ to single use shopping bags

The average adult uses 300 single use shopping bags per year.

Using a ‘bag for life’ rather than taking your shopping home in single use shopping bags is one of the easiest ways to reject excess packaging. Around 45 per cent of shoppers claim to have bought a bag for life but only 12 per cent regularly use one – so keep yours with the shopping list so you don’t forget.

If you use plastic bags, get a plastic bag dispenser for your kitchen so that you can reuse them.

Shops and supermarkets have agreed to reduce the environmental impact of single use shopping bags (both paper and plastic) by 25 per cent by the end of 2008. This will mean 3.25 billion fewer bags being used and will save 58,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year. This would be the same as if 18,000 cars were taken off the road for a year. 

Retailers will be reducing the environmental impact of bags by:

• encouraging customers to reduce significantly the number of carrier bags used
• reducing the impact of each carrier bag by using less material or incorporating recycled content
• enabling the recycling of more carrier bags

The government has announced that it plans to legislate to give itself the ability to force retailers to charge for bags, if further voluntary action does not deliver a big enough reduction in bags.

• Recycling plastic bags Opens new window

Dealing with the unavoidable packaging

A lot of the packaging we get is necessary to transport the goods without damaging them, keep them safe or make them easy to use. 

But we can help protect the environment by choosing what we do with it.  Many packaged products are now marked with advice on how to reuse, recycle or dispose of packaging.

Re-using

You can re-use packaging with refill packs, or for new uses - such as children’s craft or storage. For more tips click below.

• Reducing waste, re-using and repairing

Recycling

You can recycle much of your packaging through your local authority waste collections and community bank facilities.

For more detail on this, see our recycling section.

• Recycling
• Recycle Now Opens new window

What retailers and producers are doing to reduce packaging

Besides moves to reduce single use bags, many retailers and manufacturers are working with government to reduce packaging. Solutions include reducing the weight of packaging (such as bottles, cans and boxes), increasing the use of refill and self-dispensing systems, better packaging design and increasing the amount of recycled content packaging used.

Consumers can help drive this process by choosing low-packaged products every day.

• Working with the retail sector Opens new window

How to complain about excess packaging

There is a law in the UK against excess packaging.

If you think you have found excess packaging and want to complain, you can:

• write to the supermarket or manufacturer to complain, stating that you believe the packaging to be excessive
• contact Trading Standards to investigate by calling Consumer Direct on 08454 040506. Trading Standards will also be able to consider if the packaging is deliberately misleading in making you think there is more product in the pack than there actually is.
  

• Consumer Direct Opens new window

More useful links

• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on packaging Opens new window
• Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on packaging Opens new window