More than 90% of Britons want supermarkets to introduce an aisle free of plastic packaging in stores.Plastic free aisle
Environmental campaign group A Plastic Planet commissioned a Populus survey of 2,000 UK adults.
Respondents were asked if they support or oppose the introduction of a supermarket aisle that features only products that are free of plastic packaging,
with 91% saying they supported it.
Additionally, 81% of those surveyed said that they were concerned ‘about the amount of plastic packaging that is thrown away in the UK’.
Support for a supermarket aisle featuring only goods not wrapped in plastic packaging was highest in the North East, where 96% of survey respondents backed the move.
The survey revealed that women are slightly more likely to support the introduction of Plastic Free Aisles than men (92% compared to 91%), while people aged 65 or over are more likely to advocate the measure than any other age group (94% compared to 89% of 25-34 year-olds).
Results from opinion polls and surveys can sometimes appear convenient, but the British Polling Council has said that results can often be attributed the time a poll was conducted, the “order effect” of how questions are asked, and the “mode effect” where respondents (consciously or sub-consciously) give different answers depending on whether they are asked questions in person by an interviewer, or impersonally in self-completion surveys sent by post or email/Internet.
Sian Sutherland, A Plastic Planet co-founder, said it was clear the public wanted an alternative to goods laden with plastic packaging.
“Too much of our plastic waste ends up in oceans and landfill. Consumer demand for products that generate less plastic waste is higher than ever. A plastic free aisle would help supermarkets meet the needs of shoppers who are fed up of buying products covered with layer after layer of throwaway plastic.
“For years we’ve able to buy gluten-free, dairy-free, and fat-free, so why no plastic free?”
Professor Hilary Kennedy of Bangor University’s School of Ocean Sciences added: “There is a growing body of evidence that plastic waste poses a global challenge, directly affecting marine life and ecosystems.
“A plastic free aisle in supermarkets would help encourage a reduction in the amount of plastic waste being dumped in our environment.”
| A packaging News release || July 26, 2017 |||
