Recycling

SUSTAINABILITY: MAJESTIC/SAINSBURY'S/WILKO

Majestic launches UK’s first cork recycling scheme

Recycled corks will eventually be sent to The Eden Project, Cornwall.

Majestic, a specialist wine retailer, has unveiled details of a nationwide cork recycling scheme in more than 200 of its stores.

The retailer will place collection hubs in all its stores and, working with the Portuguese Cork Association, aims to recycle more than one million corks per year – equating to over 309 tonnes of CO2.The corks will eventually be sent to The Eden Project, Cornwall, which will be trialling the cork as a mulch around Mediterranean plants.

A study by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that corks are by far the most environmentally-friendly form of wine closure – more than 20 times more so than screw caps. However, until now nationwide cork recycling has not been available in the UK – unlike in other parts of the world.

Majestic boss John Colley said: “As a national retailer, we’re always looking at ways we can pull our weight in the climate crisis. Cork represents a perfectly circular, environmentally friendly industry from cork oak to bottle – with just one final missing component: what happens after the wine has been drunk.

“By working with the Cork Association, we’re squaring the circle by giving our customers and stores the opportunity to continue a natural cork’s journey at The Eden Project. I’m sure not only will this give our customers another reason to enjoy a great bottle of wine, but also another reason to visit us in-store – with their pockets brimming with corks.”

SAINSBURY’S

Sainsbury’s makes it easier to recycle aluminium coffee pods

The supermarket giant has become the first UK retailer to label its own-brand aluminium coffee pods as recyclable.

Sainsbury’s has teamed up with coffee pod manufacturer Dualit and On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) to prove that aluminium coffee pods can be recycled at home, despite popular misconceptions and confusion, provided they are empty of coffee grounds.

Until now, it’s been widely believed that aluminium coffee pods are too small to be captured for recycling when items are being sorted, but Sainsbury’s challenged the industry and discovered that waste management companies have facilities that would be able to capture and recycle these smaller items.

Sainsbury’s has now become the first UK retailer to label its own brand aluminium coffee pods as recyclable. This label will make clear the importance of emptying the pod and rinsing it before placing it in the recycling bin, so that the clean aluminium can be sorted and recycled.

In addition, customers can buy a device that ensures coffee is separated and removed from the aluminium pods, making it ready to be recycled, from their local Sainsbury’s store or online from November. It is hoped the Dualit EcoPress, while not vital, will help encourage more people to recycle.

Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s, said: “We’re always looking for new ways to help our customers live more sustainably at home, and key to that is making sure any changes are small and easy to implement.

“That’s why we decided to challenge the notion that aluminium coffee pods can’t be recycled and, with consumers more concerned about the planet than ever before, it felt like a natural place to look.

“Whilst we might be the first retailer to label our own brand coffee pods as recyclable, it’s important to understand that many aluminium pods are in fact recyclable. We hope others follow suit and change their packaging to raise awareness and encourage recycling.” own-brand aluminium coffee pods as recyclable.

Wilko extends in-store facemask recycling scheme

Homeware chain Wilko is extending its scheme to recycle single-use face masks after a successful first few months.

The Wilko #ReclaimTheMask scheme, which launched in April and has 150 participating stores across the country, is being extended until the end of September.

Wilko has extended its scheme to recycle single-use face masks

Shoppers can drop off their used single-use masks in dedicated collection boxes which, once full, get sent to recyclers, ReWorked.

The PPE waste is quarantined for 72 hours before being sterilised and shredded. The shredded facemasks go to the board mill, where they are heated to over 200°C, and pressed into solid sheets of recycled plastic. The boards are used as building materials, made into shelters, and some become children’s furniture. Jerome Saint-Marc, Chief Executive at Wilko, said: “We know that our customers care about the environment, and this scheme has proved again to us just how much. We’re so delighted that it’s been such a success and that our customers and team members are helping to reduce litter in their communities, our partners are helping to recycle the waste and that we’re able to bring it all together in our stores.”