Unilever has entered into a cross-industry partnership pilot to boost teabag recycling in the UK in a bid to recover energy from the nation's favourite hot drink.
Brits consume around 165 million cups of tea every day, but most teabags are disposed of in the residual waste bin. To address the problem, Unilever UK has teamed up with WRAP to change consumer habits.
The campaign with widespread advertising including posters at bus shelters and in local newspapers. The adverts, featuring PG tips' iconic "Monkey", advise tea drinkers that they can compost tea bags instead either at home or in some areas through council collection schemes.
According to WRAP, tea is by far the largest element of unavoidable food waste produced in the UK, above items such as fruit peels and onion skins, accounting for some 370,000 tonnes of waste every year.
As the maker behind PG Tips, Unilever says that Britons drink more than 20 million cups of the brand every day. It is looking to take greater responsibility for this through its recycling drive which also supports the company's commitment to reduce waste to landfill by 50% within the next eight years, as detailed in its Sustainable Living Plan.
Unilever's sustainability director for beverages Paul Sherratt says that this type of challenge can only be tackled through collaboration stating "Unilever's tea bags are mainly made from organic material so we believe that composting them is a small habit change that everyone can adopt".
No comments:
Post a Comment