Metro Reduces Plastic Content in Packaging

Metro in Germany is focusing on more sustainable packaging for its own brands: The cut herb articles of the „Metro Chef“ brand now get by with less or no plastic at all. Metro wants to avoid more than 100 tons of plastic waste per year without compromising on quality assurance.

For fresh kitchen herbs, packaging is often still made of plastic. In cooperation with its suppliers, Metro has now revised the packaging of its own brand „Metro Chef Cut Herbs“. Since June 2020, they have been using less plastic. According to the wholesale company, the new private label packaging is made mainly of paper from sustainable cultivation and certified according to the FSC guidelines. The newly developed cress trays, for example, are made entirely of paper.

Protective function retained

According to Metro, the use of plastics cannot be avoided in the packaging of some other herbs for reasons of quality assurance. However, the proportion of plastic has been reduced for these herbs: In the films for chives, for example, it is 35 percent lower than in the packaging previously used. In addition, the shells of most of the cut herbs have a comparatively thin plastic lid. The new funnel bags for bunched herbs such as parsley contain around 65 percent less plastic.

Resealable trays

In addition, a „top-seal solution“ was newly introduced, which makes it possible to reseal trays of herbs up to 100 times. In this way Metro also wants to make a contribution to reducing food waste. The nationwide conversion was initially preceded by a test in the Rhineland. After the positive customer feedback, the innovation was extended to more and more Metro wholesale stores.