Jo Swinson MP

EXCESS PACKAGING IN EASTER EGGS

Excess packaging:

As consumers, we come across excess packaging as an everyday occurrence. A simple trip to the supermarket results in the accumulation of vast amounts of card, foil and plastic, much of which is disposed of as soon as we get home. The Government's Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) says that families now spend £470 on packaging each year, one-sixth of their food budget. Some consumers have even taken matters into their own hands by removing packaging and leaving it at the checkout, recently having received the backing of Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw for doing so.

None of us can escape our environmental responsibilities. Consumers have a vital role to play in recycling, as do businesses and local authorities. However, this is a role that could be made far easier if producers reduced quantities of packaging further up the supply chain, unburdening consumers of the excessive amounts of packaging that they take home with the household shopping.

The Government's Packaging (essential requirements) Regulations are designed to limit waste by restricting the amount of packaging that can be used to contain a product. The aim is to minimise packaging at the production stage but there is a strong case that these regulations are not working effectively in some areas.

83% of all grocers in UK are signed up to the voluntary Courtauld Commitment. Under this agreement, all growth in packaging waste must be designed out by 2008, and an absolute reduction in packaging waste produced by 2010. In addition, signatories have made individual commitments on further reductions in packaging. Achieving this high rate of consensus from the grocery market on the need to reduce packaging waste deserves credit, though we will have to wait three years to learn if the agreement itself has been effective.

House of Commons Early Day Motion 814, which I have tabled, seeks to highlight the problem of excess packaging, urging supermarkets and producers to take action to reduce packaging waste. The motion has received 110 signatures to date.

My Liberal Democrat colleague Andrew Stunell MP has introduced the Retail Packaging Recycling Bill to Parliament. This Bill proposes that supermarkets over 250sqm should provide recycling facilities to allow customers to return packaging to the store from which it is purchased. The Bill potentially receives its Second Reading in Parliament on 15^th June.

Easter eggs:

Chocolate Easter eggs are, from an empirical point of view, a stand-out example of excess packaging. The bright, colourful boxes that fill supermarket shelves in the weeks running up to Easter Sunday contain eggs that are often far smaller than the packaging that encases them. Typically, packages use a variety of materials to carefully control how the product is presented to the consumer.

To seek concrete evidence of Easter eggs as some of the worst excess packaging offenders, a set of research has been carried out, taking measurements on a variety of Easter eggs and Easter egg packaging.

A total of 14 egg types were selected, representing a cross-section of the medium-sized eggs produced by a variety of major manufacturers. The dimensions and weights of eggs and packages were measured, packaging material was examined and the environmental information given on packaging was recorded.

Summary of findings:

Key findings relating to dimensions and weight of Easter eggs:

Key findings related to packaging materials:

Some examples of good packaging practice were recorded:

Conclusion

Though some of the figures uncovered in this research are surprising, particularly that on average Easter eggs take up just 15% of their packaging by volume, the overall themes are as we would expect. Easter eggs are a flagship example of excess packaging.

Three different layers of packaging (card, plastic and foil) are used to house the eggs in most cases. The combined space taken up by all the packaging measured is five times that of the Easter eggs they are made to contain. In the vast majority of cases the eggs do not contain any meaningful information relating to the environmental aspects of the packaging.

The Easter eggs used in this experiment are mid-range, medium-sized eggs. While smaller eggs are available in correspondingly smaller boxes, a large range of luxury eggs are also available, coming in much larger packages than have been measured here.

The Government's Packaging (essential requirements) Regulations are, as mentioned above, intended to prevent products being packaged excessively. These state that:

Packaging volume and weight must be the minimum amount to maintain necessary levels of safety, hygiene and acceptance for the packed product and for the consumer.

There can be little doubt that in many cases Easter eggs exceed these minimum levels, yet the chances of action to curb the situation seem remote. From the introduction of the regulations up to November last year, there have been just 4 cases of prosecutions resulting from excess packaging. Clearly bringing the full scope of the law to bear may not always be the answer, but these regulations must be used more effectively to put pressure on the producers on excess packaging.

The agreement reached under the Courtauld Commitment is encouraging and the pledges that supermarkets have so far made to reduce packaging are promising. Two further steps are needed in this area: firstly, this must be a continuing process of packaging reduction, not a one-off cut. A review process should take place to ensure that, while credit is given to those that have succeeded in reducing excess packaging, consensus on further reductions is also sought. Secondly, the case for introducing binding targets for packaging reduction should be examined in light of the relative success or failure of the Courtauld Commitment.

The good practice by supermarkets that is already taking place should be welcomed. Sainsbury's considerable reduction of Easter egg packaging disproves those who would defend packaging on the grounds that it is needed to protect the product from damage, while setting an example for producers on how to proceed on a low-packaging basis. Supermarkets have made significant voluntary commitments of their own accord under Courtauld. ASDA has shown a willingness to cooperate with the proposals in Andrew Stunell's Retail Packaging Recycling Bill. These are encouraging examples that should be emulated by others in future.

This is, of course, not just an issue to do with Easter eggs. Excess packaging from Easter eggs constitutes a very small part of the overall waste we produce from food packaging. It is an issue to do with all excess packaging, from fruit and veg to ready meals - Easter eggs merely provide a good example of how bad the situation can get.

Tougher action against excess packagers, extended commitments from supermarkets and producers to cut packaging and promotion of good practice among supermarkets must all be part of the Government's plans as we move forward.

March 2007

Appendix 1: Research Tables

Weight measurements of Easter eggs

Dimensions of Easter eggs

Appendix 1: Research Tables (cont.)

Volume, relative measurements and price of Easter eggs

*These are the prices paid for eggs though not necessarily the RRP of the eggs. Eggs were paid for personally by Jo Swinson and were donated to Great Ormond St Children's Hospital after measurements were completed.