I would be delighted if Migros were to tackle the plastic waste problem even more. The reusable vegetable bags are a great approach. However, there is still a lot of plastic waste in the delivery of goods, which in my opinion could be avoided, but the customer doesn't see that.
Guest
Hello @Fr888
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on plastic.
Packaging protects the product during transportation and also has the important function of preventing food from spoiling too early. Did you know that packaging contributes very little to the environmental impact of a product? As a rule, less than four percent, and the main environmental impact comes from the cultivation of the food. Packaging therefore prevents the worst-case scenario for the environment, namely the premature spoilage of food.
However, we take this issue very seriously, which is why many types of packaging have been ecologically optimized in recent years. By 2020, we will continue to systematically reduce the amount of packaging and use more environmentally friendly materials across the board.
You can also find a lot more information athttps://generation-m.migros.ch/de/nachhaltig-leben/verpackung/weniger-verpackung-ist-mehr.html
Kind regards
Marina
Hello Marina
Thank you for your answer. Protecting food from spoilage makes sense. However, the statement that the environmental impact is only 4% distracts from the topic. I think 4% is a lot. When it comes to production, for example, I think laboratory meat should be promoted much more. But back to the topic. The effects of plastic are still very unclear, e.g. microplastics in the deep sea, fish, birds. Ultimately even our food chain. I appreciate Migros' insight and optimization plans in this regard. What I wonder, however, is that unpackaged stores are leading the way. It is possible to offer many foodstuffs unpackaged in the store, thus eliminating the need to produce a lot of plastic. Why is this not increasingly possible in Migros stores? I would also be interested to know if there are any figures on how much of Migros' plastic packaging is recycled? I suspect quite a lot. I would appreciate your answer. Kind regards, Simon
Hello @nomiz. Some positive aspects of packaging have already been mentioned above and are still valid, even if this answer was given over a year ago. These include the protective function during transportation and storage and the fact that a product stays fresh for longer. Currently, however, there are more and more open sales stations, especially in larger stores. So far, the range has mainly been limited to nuts and dried fruit, but also pasta in some cases. And of course there are meat, fish and cheese counters in larger stores. For smaller stores, however, this offer is impossible due to space constraints.
A further expansion of open sales is being tested in some cases and looked at depending on the item. Hygiene and handling are possible arguments against open sales. It also depends very much on the products as to whether something is suitable. And if, in the end, a large proportion can no longer be sold due to a lack of packaging, which would result in more food waste, then that wouldn't make sense either. That's why everything is looked at very carefully before something like this is introduced. And ultimately, it's up to the cooperatives to decide whether and what they want to offer in their stores. What is possible everywhere, however, is to buy from the open counters with your own container. Sometimes you just have to ask, it's not widely advertised.
And your question about the amount of recycling. I asked here and got these figures: In 2018, we received 15,866 tons of customer returns for recycling. The majority of these were PET beverage bottles. In total, we received 283 million returned by our customers. That's quite a considerable amount, isn't it? :)
I hope that answers your questions so far.
Best regards, Nina
Why not reusable bottles like in the past?
And honestly, as practical as it is that PET bottles are light, the contents taste different in glass bottles.
Coke, for example, there is a huge difference in taste.
Cucumbers are now also available without foil - great! I only use those :-)))
And they don't spoil as quickly as with plastic wrap.
But plastic is also used a lot for other things that don't need it.
Cell phone 3-pack - why foil, I can take 3 single ones.
Other goods with double packs, triple packs also often have foil around them. Often cosmetic items.
You could really do without it.
It's just a long way to go, but it seems to be starting.
Hello Nina
Thanks for your reply. Well, I still see a lot of potential with Migros. Otherwise, organic stores wouldn't be able to do it with less packaging. Have you read the article about the amount of microplastics in our bodies? Each of us eats one credit card of plastic a week! So that should give us more food for thought. It would be interesting to know how much is recycled compared to non-recycled in your country? Do you know any more details about this? Kind regards Simon Ziswiler
Guest
Hello everyone
I'm standing in for Nina here. The reusable bottles are thicker than the recyclable bottles and therefore have to be reused very often for it to be ecologically worthwhile. The question is whether this is actually done. At the moment, PET can be disposed of very easily anywhere. This could then only be done at a depot collection point, which would presumably lead to less recycling.
Yes, we are aware that we still have potential. As you can see, there's always a little bit happening.
Unfortunately, I can't tell you exactly how much we recycle and how much we don't. Because we don't know whether someone buys a bottle from us and disposes of it elsewhere or vice versa. But the PET Recycling Switzerland association has the figures:https://www.petrecycling.ch/de/wissen/zahlen-fakten/kennzahlen
Best regards
Dominik
Guest
I know, for example, that the peel of vine tomatoes contains a high proportion of recycled PET. But it's not enough for the peel to be recycled again. Of course, we are also working on increasing this proportion and, in terms of the circular economy, the aim should certainly be to ultimately be able to recycle them too.
Kind regards, Dominik
Guest
Hello, hopefully the "peels of the vine tomatoes" are now made of cardboard and not (recyclable) PET. In my opinion, PET is used in this case, for example, to save costs. As far as I know, even Migros has to license its packaging material... Plastic is of course cheaper than the cardboard alternatives. You can calculate the licensing costs here, for example, if you like: https://www.lizenzero.de/verpackungslizenz-kosten/kostenrechner-berechnungshilfe/ Best regards, Milan
