The Collective has recently delved into the very current issue of sustainability in the grocery industry and its impact on the wider environment. The alarming issue of single-use plastic has been gaining much media attention this year, especially since the airing of Blue Planet, with customers becoming more and more aware of the issue making changes to their day to day purchasing behaviour to lead more sustainable lives.
Well known for its 450g tubs of Gourmet live yoghurt, The Collective’s impactful black lids have been an iconic part of the brand’s identity since 2011. It has recently come to light that the majority of black plastic is not recycled in the UK, as currently in recycling plants, infrared sensors don’t pick up black plastic on the conveyor belts.
Determined to find a solution, The Collective’s in-house sustainability team have challenged their packaging suppliers and worked with leading industry experts to build their knowledge of the UK recycling infrastructure and find a way round the issue.
The Collective are excited to announce the launch of a first-to-market industry leading technology across the food and drink sector. From October, the lids on The Collective’s 450g and 900g tubs will incorporate a special pigment that makes them detectable across UK recycling plants, meaning consumers can now recycle the black lids with their generic plastic recycling.
“Infrared sensors in recycling plants don’t normally pick up black plastic on conveyor belts. This means our lids are not usually detected, classed as residual waste and incinerated. Now the lids are being made with a new green pigment that can be picked up by plant sensors and will be recycled alongside The Collective’s polypropylene pots,” said Amelia Harvey, co-founder at The Collective.
The Collective’s in-house sustainability team has not only been looking at how to renovate the packaging of its current ranges to improve its recyclability, but sustainability has become an integral part of the innovation, design and NPD process in the business.
