WEEKEND OF ACTION AGAINST PACKAGING WASTE - Friends of the Earth Scotland

WEEKEND OF ACTION AGAINST PACKAGING WASTE

27 October 2007
Topics: Waste

Scottish supermarkets to get their unwanted packaging back

** UPDATED: with list of times and locations of activities in notes

Shoppers fed-up with excess packaging are to target stores across the
country this weekend (27-28 October) [1]. Teams of campaigners will return
unwanted layers of plastic, cardboard and paper to their local store and ask
the manager to send a message back to head office to stop over-packaging
goods. [2]

Co-ordinated by Friends of the Earth Scotland, to highlight the amount of
unnecessary packaging on many everyday products, events will take place at
six supermarkets in Kirkcaldy, Falkirk, Edinburgh, Elgin, Glasgow, and Fort
William.

Volunteer waste campaigners will also be petitioning shoppers and showing
them how to reduce their waste. Local 'waste prevention champions' and
shoppers will present store managers with the excess packaging from one
week's worth of shopping. By asking managers to accept the waste, they will
be sending a message from consumers that it is neither needed nor wanted.

Friends of the Earth Scotland's Rosiaina Browning said:

"We want to send a strong message to stores that, as customers, we find it
totally unacceptable that our shopping comes so over-packaged. Most of it
is unnecessary and is only adding to Scotland's growing waste mountain.
Over-packaged goods waste a huge amount of valuable resources and we hope
that the retailers will listen and reduce the amount of packaging
accordingly.

"In Scotland we throw out enough waste to fill Murrayfield rugby stadium
every day. Recycling levels may be rising, but so too is the total amount of
waste that is produced - increasing by almost 2 per cent each year. The real
challenge is to avoid waste, such as excess packaging, in the first place."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Planned events:

** SATURDAY 27 OCT:
1. Kirkcaldy: TESCO, 20 THE POSTINGS, KIRKCALDY, FIFE, KY1 1HN at 11am
Contact: Claire Reid 01592 890 718
2. Falkirk: Morrisons, Brockville Pk Hope St, Falkirk, FK1 5BU at 11am
Contact: Corrie Cuthbertson 01324 610 057
3. Elgin: Asda, Edgar Road Elgin, IV30 6YQ at 10am
Contact: Martin Fido 01340 830 011 or 01340 831 800
4. Glasgow: Somerfield, 384-390 Clarkston Road, Glasgow G44 3JL at 2pm
Contact: Audrey Slevin 0141 577 6580
5. Fort William: An Aird, Fort William, PH33 6AN 11am
Contact: George Archibald 07789 352 435

** SUNDAY 28 OCT:
6. Edinburgh: Tesco, 7 Broughton Road, Canonmills, Edinburgh, EH7 4EW at 1pm
Contact: Rosiaina Browning 0131 243 2721 or 07748 702 455

[2] Some waste facts:

* Every year UK households spend an average £470 on packaging

* Although recycling is growing, so is waste – by up to 2% a year

* Scots dump enough waste every day to fill Murrayfield rugby stadium

For more packaging facts:
http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Packaging.htm

[3] The CREW (Communities Reducing Excess Waste) project has recruited and
trained 34 'waste prevention champions' across Scotland to promote waste
prevention locally. These volunteers have the tools and skills to help
householders reduce their waste and can deliver waste prevention workshops
and events through local clubs, groups, events and networks. The project
also supports people who are directly affected by waste disposal facilities
such as landfill sites.

More information about the project: http://www.reducewaste.org.uk

[4] This project is funded by INCREASE: http://www.increase-programme.org.uk

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