SuperValu’s Sustainable Growing Herbs
SuperValu is on a mission to help shoppers shop more sustainably and it seems that every month, there is another initiative from the retailer…
The latest announcement is about their the Growing Herbs product, as SuperValu announced that from this month, all Growing Herbs packaging will be sustainable.
The move will see all non-recyclable plastic packaging removed, diverting a massive 3.18 tonnes of plastic from landfills annually. The outer sleeve on the potted Growing Herbs has moved to a paper sleeve which is 100% recyclable, and the black pot has moved to a grey pot which can be recycled. Potted herbs are a convenient way of having fresh herbs to hand just when you need them as with a little care, they will keep super fresh until ready to use.
SuperValu’s local herb producers, O’Hanlon’s Herbs, Wicklow, advise SuperValu customers to water their growing herbs every day or when the compost is dry to the touch and to pick leaves from the herb as required from the top of the plant.
Over 300,000 units of Growing Herbs are sold in SuperValu each year and the range includes Coriander, Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, Mint & Chives. All SuperValu potted herbs are Bord Bia approved Irish grown. The move to make another SuperValu range fully sustainable is part of a series of changes in 2020 which show SuperValu’s commitment to making 100 percent of SuperValu’s own-brand, fresh produce, and in-store packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
Ian Allen, Managing Director, SuperValu, said, “We are delighted to introduce fully sustainable packaging to another SuperValu range. With the removal of the plastic sleeve on herbs and non-recyclable black plastic, we are moving ever closer to our goal of 100% sustainable packaging by 2025. So far, our changes to packaging have diverted 29.3 tonnes of plastic from landfill annually, a positive move that impacts every community we operate in around Ireland.”
As part of our commitment to becoming more sustainable, we have introduced Sustainable Sundays, sharing the steps we’re taking to improve our impact on the planet and how our customers can get involved too. SuperValu will reduce its carbon footprint in Ireland by 70 percent by 2025 and in addition to moving to sustainable packaging, SuperValu is committed to operating all facilities with 100 percent green electricity and to sending no recoverable waste to landfill. Any food surplus in stores is sent to re-distribution charities so food waste is minimised as well as helping to alleviate food poverty.
SuperValu serves over 2.6 million customers every week and has 223 stores nationwide. Together with its retail partners, SuperValu employs approximately 14,500 colleagues, making it one of the State’s largest private-sector employers. SuperValu continues to source locally wherever possible which helps to sustain 30,000 jobs in the Irish economy.
