July 2019

CuanTec - based in Motherwell and Oban -  takes waste langoustine shells created from seafood processing to make a natural polymer - which can then be turned into a flexible film. The material has the potential to be both industrially and home compostable.

Nick Barber, Commercial Director said: “We have seen very pleasing volumes for masterbatch and additives over the past 12 months, and it has become apparent that there is just as great if not greater demand for compounding of late. Particularly with the increase in use of Flame retardants, which can be inherently difficult to colour with masterbatch.”

Sainsbury’s will also introduce a trial scheme for customers to ‘pre-cycle’ by providing an area for customers to remove unwanted primary and secondary packaging in store and leave it for recycling. This means that food remains protected through the supply chain, but offers the customer the option to recycle before they take the item home.

In addition, from today, Sainsbury’s will remove plastic packaging from sweetheart and savoy cabbages, cutting a further 100 tonnes of plastic packaging over the next year, as part of a drive to significantly reduce plastic packaging.