The sustainable move will enable the UK retailer to eliminate up to 50 million pieces of plastic per annum

Tesco

Tesco has avoided the use of plastic and shrink wrap packaging for beers and ciders. (Credit: Tesco PLC)

Supermarket chain Tesco has avoided the use of soft plastic rings and shrink wrap packaging for all beers and ciders at its stores in the UK.

The sustainable move will allow the UK retailer to eliminate up to 50 million pieces of plastic per annum.

Tesco has stopped accepting beer and ciders, which are held together by soft plastic rings and shrink wraps.

It is planning to complete the selling of remaining stock in the coming weeks, as well as avoid ordering beers or ciders with such packaging in the future.

Tesco quality director Sarah Bradbury said: “We are working hand in hand with some of the world’s biggest brands to tackle the problem of unnecessary plastic.

“Our mission is to remove, reduce, reuse and recycle so we use as little material as possible and ensure that all the packaging in our stores can be easily recycled.”

Tesco stated that the move is part of its ongoing 4Rs (remove, reduce, reuse, recycle) strategy designed to eliminate excess and non-recyclable material from its business and recycle the remaining.

Under the programme, the retailer had already removed one billion pieces of plastic, including tinned multipacks, lids and the small bags used to pack loose fruit and vegetables.

Beer and cider brands, which are available in Tesco, will now use materials for multipacks such as cardboard sleeves, boxes, or a rigid plastic that can be easily recycled through kerbside collections.

Heineken has avoided the use of plastic rings to support cardboard alternative known as the Green Grip.

Heineken UK corporate affairs director James Crampton said: “Never has sustainability been so high on the agenda and we are incredibly proud to work with Tesco, who like us, see the important role we both play in helping to protect the future of our planet.

“Green Grip eliminates the plastic rings on cans of beer and cider – it’s a game-changer that impacts hundreds of millions of packs of beers and ciders and removes the equivalent plastic of 94 million plastic bags.”