Canadian grocery chains to require clamshell suppliers to shift to PET

In a recent article in Plastics News (www.plasticsnews.com) it was reported that Canada’s top five grocery chains have announced that they will require suppliers to shift to PET for clamshell thermoformed packaging in a move designed to simplify the product stream and increase recycling.   

Wal-Mart Canada Corp. officials said they are talking to suppliers in the U.S. and Canada about the initiative, and expect it will expand as part of the company’s increased emphasis on sustainability.  

“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, VP of sustainable packaging for Wal-Mart 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.”  

Pushing for PET and eliminating, as much as possible, “look-alike” plastics which complicate recovery (and discourage both municipal collectors and recyclers from taking clamshell containers) the retailers say their initiative will open the “floodgates” for increased thermoformed PET collection and reuse.