At Birds Eye, we know our products are loved which is why it is important that we produce them with respect for our resources.
Packaging is important because it protects and conserves the product during transportation, letting us deliver safe and high-quality products to our consumers. Not only does our packaging provide a lasting shelf life, but it also helps with portion size, food waste reduction and clear information.
As packaging is so important, it must be carefully considered and developed.
How do we know that our packaging is up to scratch?
We have a Packaging Policy to guarantee that all Birds Eye packaging is fit for its purpose. For us, that means that our packaging must:
- Be safe for food use
- Avoid excess materials
- Consider the overall impact on the environment
How do we increase the recyclability of our packaging?
Increasing recyclability is very much at the forefront of our packaging agenda. That’s why we’re researching new materials and prioritising materials from renewable sources, primarily paper. We also encourage all our consumers to recycle the packaging after they have enjoyed the food on the inside.
In 2021 we moved all our resealable bags of veg to recyclable materials. To achieve this, we need to use a new patented sealing technology so that efficiency isn't impacted in the factory. All our natural veg bags can now be recycled in large supermarkets along with other food and carrier bags.
As part of this change, we also optimised our packaging sizes to remove any excess materials by approximately 7% across the range.
This is equivalent to 28 tonnes of packaging removed per annum.
At Aunt Bessie’s all Yorkshire pudding bags and potato bags can be recycled in large supermarkets. We are working hard to get the final products into recyclable packaging.
All Goodfellas packaging is now recyclable with all plastic films recyclable in large supermarkets.
We are focussed on reducing the environmental impact of our packaging; 91.4% of our consumer packaging is currently recyclable – and we keep improving.
We use On pack recycling labelling (OPRL) logos on our packs to provide consumers with the information needed to recycle their packaging. We need consumers to support recycling packaging so packaging materials can be used again either back in packaging or in another function.
Our target is for 100% of our consumer packaging to be recyclable by the end of 2022.
Reducing Packaging Waste
We believe it’s crucial to work together with local communities and industry bodies to help make a difference. We think this is the best way to make an impact is to minimise our use of packaging where possible.
We have signed the UK Plastics Pact to work towards 100% recyclable packaging, 70% of all plastic packaging being effectively recycled or composted, 30% average recycled content by 2025, while continuing to eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging through redesign, innovation, or alternative delivery methods.
We have changed our focus to how we could amend a product’s recipe to reduce the packaging. By making this change we have removed the Aluminium tray entirely and reduced the box size. This has removed 35 tonnes of packaging per annum.