Recycled plastic in packaging and concrete support for sea cleanup operations, flooded with plastics and microplastics. It is the new forefront of Coop Italia, the only Italian group of the GDO (Large Organized Distribution) that adheres to the Pledging Campaign. An example to follow, also within the program promoted by the European Commission to increase the use of recycled plastic packaging.
Packaging and crates, more recycled plastic
Coop's goal Italy is to achieve within 6 years the replacement of 6,400 tons of virgin plastic (a volume comparable to 60 trucks in a row over 1 km of road) with recycled material. The operation will be completed by 2025 on all branded products, food and non-food, starting from:
– bottles of mineral water. For the 27 Coop-branded water references, 30% recycled content will be reached by December 2019, rising to 50% by January 2023,
– bottles of household and laundry detergents (whose impact on the waste cycle has already been reduced by offering refill pouches),
– trays for fresh fruit and vegetables.
Reusable crates – used to handle fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, and fish – are also involved in Coop Italia's project. An invisible commitment to consumers' eyes, but measurable and significant in terms of environmental impact. In the fresh produce sector alone, 600,000 crates are replaced every year. The versions currently in use contain 40% recycled plastic, which will rise to 60% by 2025.
The primacy of leader of the Italian GDO in adopting virtuous (and costly) commitments is well known. The elimination of palm oil from all branded food products, the exclusion of antibiotics from livestock supply chains (on meat, fish, and eggs), the ban on killing male chicks of laying hens. And much more, for the consumers represented by the group as the leading cooperative, but also for workers in agriculture and industry. Remembering Coop's primacy in applying the only social sustainability standard, SA8000, for about twenty years now. In all areas of sustainability, Coop leads the way, in Italy and Europe.
Fifteen years earlier that European decision-makers finally decided to ban single-use plastic items, in 2004 Coop replaced the ‘old’ plastic delle stoviglie monouso con il PLA, derivato dagli amidi vegetali (nonché biodegradabile e compostabile). Oltre ad avere sostituito i derivati del petrolio con materiali biodegradabili nei bastoncini per l’igiene delle orecchie.
With 10 years in advance compared to EU deadlines, by the end of 2020 the Vivi Verde line products will be packaged only with recyclable, compostable or reusable materials. And by 2022 – 8 years ahead of the deadlines set by Europe – the Coop transformation will be extended to all branded products, for a commercial value of about 3 billion euros/year.
We are the sea
The cleaning of the sea From plastics and environmental information to the consumer, there are other projects initiated by consumer cooperatives. Just these days, Ancc-LegaCoop (the National Association of Consumer Cooperatives), together with Lifegate, has provided Marina Genova with the #Seabin. A floating device that can collect over 500 kg of plastic waste, including microplastics and microfibers, filtering sea water continuously. And after summer 2019, Coop Italia will launch a new information campaign aimed at 6.8 millionmembers.
Another example of progress, ‘this is an important relaunch of a historic commitment to environmental protection. From actions in the ‘80s (one of which was the campaign that banned pesticides) to the more recent ‘Water from my home’ (2010-2013, aimed at encouraging the use of tap water and mineral water from nearby sources), up to the awareness activities towards branded product suppliers. With the “Coop for Kyoto” project in 2006, which then evolved over the years with “Coop together for a sustainable future” (2017). The results areimportant: strong adherence to the campaign with 328 suppliers involved in processes of sustainable improvement of their production performance.’
#PlasticLess is the true principle to follow at all levels of the supply chain, including consumers. Less packaging, less plastic and absolutely no virgin plastic in packaging, excluding it from single-use items wherever technically possible.
Dario Dongo and Marta Strinati
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT – Food Times) and Égalité.
Professional journalist since January 1995, she has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and magazines (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). Author of investigative reports on food, she published the book 'Reading labels to know what we eat'.
