Food & Beverage Reporter August 2018

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HOT TOPIC ACKERMAN TRASHES BAG LEVY In July, Pick n Pay became the first SA retailer to trial compostable bags as an environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic. The “not made from plastic” carrier bags were given free to customers at the V&A Waterfront store. Made from maize and potato starch, the compostable bags are designed to collect organic waste such as kitchen scraps and then added to a home compost environment. They break down after three to six months, compared to the reported 500 to 1 000 years it takes for plastic. Compostable bags have already been rolled out across Europe, North America and Australia, as well as with retailers in Italy. Speaking at the trial, Pick n Pay chairman Gareth Ackerman said although much had been done to reduce plastic use, it was clear that more effort was needed to make an impact. “Sustainable solutions require all parties involved – retailers, government, plastic manufacturers, consumers and recyclers – to work together collaboratively – and well beyond plastic bags to all forms of waste.” Ackerman hit out at the the plastic bag levy, introduced in 2003 in an effort to make consumers think more carefully about their plastic bag usage, saying funds generated from the levy have not improved the environment and created jobs, as was promised at the time. “These funds need to be put to proper use – not as a tax collection mechanism but as a fully-funded programme to make a real environmental impact and create much needed jobs. We look forward to the completion of “Stop making consumers feel guilty and target the real culprits ... the food industry!” By Alan Todd All Told’s director of research Inspect the contents of an average bag of groceries and you will find that there is way more plastic around the products inside the bag than there is in the carrier bag itself. The plastic milk bottle, the plastic honey jar, the plastic bag of rice, the plastic-wrapped chicken and the plastic-wrapped cheese all add up to far more plastic than the plastic used to make the carrier bag. Why then is there such an uproar about plastic carrier bags? In order to solve the plastic pollution problem, it seems obvious to anyone who thinks about it that, in addition to making consumers feel guilty about using plastic bags, the product manufacturers need to be forced into using far less plastic in their product packaging. This would really go a long way to solving the plastic pollution problem. In the big picture, the pollution from plastic carrier bags is negligible compared to the pollution caused by the plastic in product packaging itself. If we’re honest, going after consumers to get them to stop using plastic carrier bags is nothing more than token gesture and blatant virtue signalling by retailers. If they were genuinely concerned about the plastic pollution problem, they would be going after the product manufacturers to force them to find alternatives to plastic packaging. Although it is vitally important for brands to demonstrate good moral principles, they need to do so in ways that are perceived not only to be admirable, but in ways which actually work. Being seen to be doing good things is not the same as doing good things. It does not take too long for consumers to realise when a brand is making shallow, sycophantic attempts to ingratiate itself to them rather than to make a real change. Ultimately, this kind of virtue signalling does much more harm than good to a brand’s reputation. Climbing onto bandwagons, echoing popular beliefs, groupthink and following the herd is not the stuff of real brand differentiation. This is because most brands are doing and saying these same things. Brands are only noticed and admired by consumers when they do and say meaningful, unique and different things. The ones who do this are the leaders and the rest are the followers. Undoubtedly, plastic pollution is a major problem, but cajoling consumers to stop using plastic bags will only solve a small part of the problem. For this reason, it is a useless way for any brand to try to differentiate itself. When all things are considered, tackling the plastic pollution problem in a big and meaningful way is the only way for a brand to achieve differentiation at the same time as actually helping solve a serious problem facing the planet. For consumers, it’s a case of “stop telling us how noble you are and start impressing us with some decisive action.” www.alltold.co.za 28 AUGUST <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za
HOT TOPIC AS PNP TRIALS COMPOSTABLES the Industry Waste Management Plans as requested by Government to better understand the roles of all parties involved in the waste industry.” He said during National Recycling Month (September), Pick n Pay would initiate the conversation with retailers, recyclers, manufacturers and the plastics industry on this issue. Pick n Pay has already committed to removing all plastic straws from checkouts and making only paper straws available at their cold-drink kiosks. The retailer will also reduce its packaging impacts through the increased use of recycled PET (RPET) in more of its own brand categories and already provides free plastic collection from their online customers’ homes. It is also introducing100% recyclable plastic bags in stores this month. PnP’s compostable bag ... but is this really where the problem lies? www.picknpay.co.za www.fbreporter.co.za FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER | AUGUST <strong>2018</strong> 29
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Food & Beverage Reporter August 2018

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