03 May 2025
If you’re one of those environmentally-minded people who recycles everything they get their hands on, then you probably noticed the disappearance of the soft plastics cage at Tesco Metro in St Peter’s Street recently…
St Peter’s ward Green Party councillor Juliet Voisey told us: “City centre residents have been puzzled to find the soft plastics recycling facility removed from Tesco St Peter’s Street without any notice or explanation. St Albans Green councillors were alerted to the problem and are in contact with Tesco HQ to try and find out the reasoning behind it as Tesco had committed to a nationwide soft plastic recycling programme earlier this year.
“However there is a bigger issue. Investigations have revealed that a significant portion of soft plastics collected for recycling up to 70 per cent (from Sainsbury’s and Tesco) – was incinerated for energy recovery rather than being recycled into new products.
This has raised concerns about the effectiveness of such schemes and their environmental impact. Greenpeace UK has been calling on governments around the world to agree on a Global Plastics Treaty to address the issue of over production of plastics.
“Kerbside recycling for soft plastics is set to be introduced by councils by March 31 2027. Until then, city centre stores such as M&S, Co-op, Sainsbury’s, and Aldi should be providing soft plastic collection points. We would urge residents to return their soft plastics to these stores, helping prevent landfill waste and putting pressure on retailers to cut down on excessive packaging.”
The St Albans Times contacted Tesco to find out what was happening with the cage and was told it had been temporarily removed while they carried out some “updates” and would return soon. The supermarket insisted they work hard to recycle the materials they collect, for example some are recycled into new items, like Bags for Life, garden furniture, and planters, but where it is not possible to recycle the collected plastic, they put it to alternative uses to avoid these materials going to landfill, for example energy recovery.
Juliet also received a response, and added: “We have had confirmation from the sustainability department that the container for the soft plastics will be reinstated at St Peter’s Street store within one to two weeks after we pointed out to them that we would have to direct people to other city centre stores and that they were marginalising residents who live in the centre by not providing the soft plastics container.
“By reducing this option to the larger stores, they were relying on those that drive and excluding those in urban spaces who travel sustainably to city centre stores.”
