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- Vivienne Roberts
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Woolworths and their packaging
This picture is so ridiculous I don’t know where to start.
Here’s something from their website: Packaging
The best way to avoid using up materials in packaging would, of course, be not to use any packaging at all. That would be impossible given the range and nature of the products we sell. To try and minimise the waste from our packaging, we try and use completely recyclable material like paper and glass. (hmmm, a lot of what I see in the picture above is plastic and polystyrene, but go on…) It’s extremely important that our customers then put these back into the recycling process – so you can help us there. (relying on customers to take the lead in environmental matters is always a good idea)
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</span></i></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Where we do use plastics, we make sure that the kind of plastic used is clearly identified so that it can be sorted for recycling more easily. More and more plastic is being recycled and we are looking at using recycled plastic for more of our packaging. </span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">We are also keeping a close eye on the development of packaging materials that are renewable and which will break down naturally in the soil. As soon as these become readily available, we will try and use them as much as possible. </p>
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</span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">As well as this, we continue to:</span>
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<span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">use reusable plastic crates for the distribution of over 70 % of our fresh foods – saving many thousands of tons of cardboard boxes. </span>
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<span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">collect cardboard and paper for recycling at our stores and at head office. </span>
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<span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">encourage customers to use recyclable bags – we have two kinds which we’re sure you’ve seen. Our wonderfully bright fabric bags, made by a small local business, and the Woolworths reusable plastic art bag. </span>
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<span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;">I just want to know why an elastic band around a bunch of asparagus stems was replaced with heavy polystyrene packaging. Yes, they look very pretty, like a line-up of little asparagus cigarettes, but the elastic bands work, and they’re pretty useful after you’ve had your little asparagus treat. I mean they’re on the right track. They’ve got packaging reduction targets, and they know that their customers probably aren’t the </span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;">Fruit & Veg City types. It puts me off buying their products though. When did we lose the ability to wash our own veggies anyway?</span>
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