Packaging

Using only the right amount

Many people believe that consumer goods are unnecessarily over-packaged. However from a sustainable development point of view packaging can have both positive and negative aspects. Concerns over resource use and waste disposal are well known, but the correct use of packaging can be beneficial by preventing product damage and ensuring a longer life for perishable products. Achieving the correct balance between these factors is known as packaging optimisation.

In 2005 Boots entered into a voluntary agreement (the Courtauld Commitment) with the Government funded Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) as one of a number of signatories. The objective of this commitment was to inspire companies to reduce the amount of packaging entering the waste stream. In August 2008 WRAP announced that the initial target had been achieved despite a 2% growth in sales in the grocery sector and a 0.5% increase in the UK population since 2005. As a signatory, Boots worked hard on delivering a reduction via a number of initiatives.

For example, product development teams at Boots put a lot of effort into ensuring that only the optimum amount of packaging is used. Our aim is to provide aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-use Boots products that have the right amount of pack protection from the point of manufacture right through to their use by the consumer. At the same time we aim to ensure that the environmental impact of packaging is minimised and that at the end of its life it can be efficiently recovered or recycled.

As well as considering the environmental impact of packaging for new products, we regularly review existing ranges for improvement.  We've introduced easy to recycle Christmas gift packs for example, as well as ground breaking initiatives such as the use of reycled plastic in toiletries' packaging.

In our distribution network, we have minimised packaging and its waste by transporting products in our own re-usable containers. And we've been doing this since the 1950s.

Carrier bags

In 2007, Boots entered into a voluntary agreement with the UK government's Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to reduce the overall environmental impact of our carrier bags by 25% by the end of 2008.

Our strategy has been to take action that reduces the impact of carrier bags on the environment whilst still focusing on the needs of our customers. Our customers have endorsed our strategy, including our commitment to issuing less single use carrier bags, with 76% saying it is important for businesses to have a policy on cutting the use of carrier bags (Source UK Health & Beauty Customer Insights Survey June 2007).

Our approach has been a broad series of initiatives, which include:

• Rationalising our existing bag range, discontinuing some sizes and replacing others with 15% smaller bags.
• Increasing the amount of recycled plastic content used in some of our bags.
• Launching our “Gorgeous” reusable cotton bag in early 2008 as an alternative to traditional plastic carrier bags (including a contribution to our women’s cancer charity partners).
• Undertaking in-store trials of a smaller reusable bag.

Together these initiatives have placed us well on track to exceed our commitment by the end of 2008. We are committed to reporting our progress publicly at the end of the year, and will be setting further targets from 2009.