In 2021, we replaced the unrecyclable bubble wrap with a fully recyclable linerless printed paper lid on a nested cardboard tray to protect our apples. The new FSC-certified packaging provides the same level of protection while enhancing our brand image and enabling customers to recycle more effectively. By making this switch, we eliminated 12 tonnes of difficult-to-recycle plastic annually and reduced the need for 1.2 million labels. Additionally, this new technology doubled our packing speed, improving supplier production efficiency.

Our new format at Ocado introduces double-stacked steaks, maintaining their exceptional quality and freshness while using 50% less plastic. By adopting this innovative approach, we will eliminate eight tonnes of plastic packaging annually.

We have removed the bubble pads from our UK strawberry lines, resulting in a reduction of 2.8 tonnes of plastic per year and eliminating 1.97 million units of unnecessary and difficult-to-recycle packaging components.

For products: As founders of The Refill Coalition, we are pioneering the development of an industry-wide, online reuse solution. This innovative approach will have a substantial impact on reducing single-use packaging throughout the entire supply chain.

For transit: We replaced shrinkwrap with reusable polyethene terephthalate (PET) nets for internal pallet movement at one of our customer fulfilment centres (CFCs), saving three tonnes of plastic annually without compromising efficiency or safety. After this successful trial, we aim to implement this change across all our CFCs.

We prioritise easy recycling for our packaging, aiming to increase customer recycling rates and the use of recycled materials. Our initiatives include:

• Closed-loop recycling for carrier bags: Since 2015, we’ve operated a closed-loop recycling scheme for our carrier bags. Collected and processed in the UK, the used bags are transformed into new ones. Our grey bags avoid water-intensive bleaching and the ink is vegan-friendly.
• Coffee pods recycling: We pioneered the use of Podback recycling bags, becoming the first UK supermarket to offer this service. At a specialised UK reprocessing plant, the pods are separated into coffee grounds for soil improvement and renewable energy, while the aluminium is transformed into new products like beverage cans.
• QR codes for milk bottles: In November 2022, we launched a trial with ‘unique-every-time’ QR codes, enabling customers to instantly access customisable landing pages providing real-time information and engaging content, as well as transforming recycling behaviour with a simple mobile scan.

Packaging accounts for 9% of our Scope 3 emissions (2021 data). Plastic and glass make up 70% of our packaging footprint. We work with partners to assess environmental impact, identify hotspots and explore improvement opportunities across the packaging life cycle.