Canadian Grocers Demand Shift to PET Clamshell Packaging

June 30, 2011

Five of Canada’s top grocers are requiring suppliers to shift clamshell thermoformed packaging to PET as a means of streamlining recycling.

The project was spearheaded by Loblaws Inc., Canada’s largest grocery store chain, however it lack critical mass to mainstream PET clamshell recycling with its 1,400 units. So the company invited other retailers – Walmart Canada, Safeway Canada, Sobeys and Metro to join in its effort to eliminate “unrecyclable packaging,” according to a Plastics News report.

“Right now, there are 5.8 billion pounds of [thermoformed] packaging going into landfills in North America each year. Our goal is to facilitate the recycling of that material,” said Guy McGuffin, vice president of sustainable packaging for Walmart Canada. “The idea is to move away from materials that are not easily recycled and into materials that are more easily recycled. If we work together, we believe we can recover that 5.8 billion pounds, which would be a fantastic result.”

The retailer coalition is pushing for PET because it has an established recycling stream and will eliminate copycat plastics that complicate recovery and recycling, according to the report. He group is also working collaboratively with the Adhesive and Sealant Council and the Association of Post-consumer Plastics Recyclers to establish labeling adhesives guidelines “that will eliminate contamination from glues and labels.”

The Retail Council of Canadian Grocers, which is helping the retailers coordinate the project, is also requiring all labels to meet APR-certified adhesives by Jan. 1, said Christian Shelepuk, waste reduction program manager for Walmart Canada. By the same Jan. 1 deadline, the retailer coalition will require its suppliers to use thermoform packaging that meets APR guidelines.

“This one’s not complicated,” said Leon Hall, manager of sustainable packaging for Walmart Canada. “Choose materials that can be recycled and while you’re at it, fix the adhesive, because that [label] doesn’t need to stay on there forever.”

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