Food retailer M&S has switched its cake tub packaging from black to semi-clear plastics so that the packs can be widely recycled in the UK. The 180ml tub, made by Berry Superfos for a range of cakes produced by Park Cakes, can now be collected by over 75 per cent of local authorities in the country.
“Using a plain semi-clear natural colour instead of a black one is in itself a fairly simple
measure, yet it has a tangible positive impact on the environment,” said Nick Shaw, packaging manager at Park Cakes. “We have taken a huge amount of non-recyclable plastics out of the waste stream and in addition, we have reduced the weight of the tub.”
Meanwhile, according to Park Cakes, the project has proved to be a cost-neutral solution. It forms part of M&S’s commitment to ensure that all of its plastics packaging is widely recyclable by 2022.