Morrisons announces storewide ban on popular Christmas items

Morrisons unveils 'carbon-neutral' eggs

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With an estimated 270,000 miles of wrapping paper ending up in the UK’s rubbish bins, Morrisons has followed in the footsteps of Tesco and Co-Op to ban plastic packaging from its Christmas gift wrap and accessory ranges. That means over 3.1 tonnes of plastic shrink wrap from wrapping paper alone has been removed. 

There also won’t be any plastic in the gift tags and bags that customers can purchase. 

Instead, gift bags will be made from recyclable paper and the plastic ribbon handles will be replaced with a paper twist or paper braid alternative.

To help customers and to make disposing of Christmas wrapping paper easier, Morrisons is introducing a fully recyclable sticky tape. 

Therefore, customers won’t have to remove sticky tape from the wrapping paper before recycling it at home – this would’ve previously contaminated paper recycling streams with bits of plastic.

Along with offering customers a chance to make more sustainable choices this Christmas, Morrisons is also reducing it’s price of wrapping paper. 

Last year, a roll would have cost customers £2, compared to this year where prices are 99p. 

Gift bags are also cheaper, meaning customers are incentivised to buy eco-friendly options. 

Jodie Mackrill, Buying Manager for Christmas and Events at Morrisons spoke about the new changes.

She said: “We are always looking to find ways to reduce and remove plastic packaging across all of the products we sell. It’s what our customers tell us they want too.

“During the Christmas period, 269,423 miles of wrapping paper are used every year, contributing to plastic ending up in a landfill. 

“Our new entirely plastic-free Christmas wrap and gift range means customers can have a more sustainable Christmas and we hope that cutting costs on gift bags and wrapping paper will help them in that.”

This is in addition to the supermarket removing glitter and plastic from wrapping paper, crackers and cards in previous years. 

In turn, this has reduced plastic in its range by over 150 tonners in the past three years. 

The new range supports Morrisons’ target to reduce plastic packaging by 50 percent and to make all own-brand plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

Morrisons is not the only supermarket to bring in these changes, Tesco and Co-Op both made the decision to remove plastic packaging from Christmas decorations and wrapping in previous years. 

There are several other ways to be sustainable this Christmas – start with the presents you will be giving and the ones you’d like to receive. 

Quality not quantity – just under half of UK adults say they have received gifts they don’t want and will never use. Buying fewer but better quality gifts reduces the chances of gifts going to waste and can be better for your wallet too.

Think about materials – Keep sustainability in mind and ensure wood and paper are made from recycled or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified materials, avoid single plastics items that can’t be recycled, and look for things like Organic-certified food and clothing. Buying second-hand items like vintage clothes, furniture, and refurbished technology, are also great ways to gift more sustainably as it saves on resources to make new products. 

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