Sustainability

MAC Cosmetics has news to share for Earth Month. The company has revamped its "Back-To-MAC" takeback program, which collects back its empty packaging from consumers.

The changes ensure the program has an even greater impact, MAC states—and now, the company expects to collect up to 300,000 to 500,000 kilograms of cosmetic packaging each year. That's equal to nearly a million pounds. 

Aïda Moudachirou-Rébois, senior vice president, global chief marketing officer at MAC Cosmetics, spoke to us about the reason for the changes, explaining:

• The company signed investment agreements with the Ministry of Investment, and Ministry of Industry & Minerals to build the facility spreading over a land 2.4 million sq.ft. over the next 7 years.

Hotpack Global, the UAE-based global leader in food packaging products, has announced its plan to build one of the world’s largest sustainable packaging plants at an estimated investment of SAR 1 billion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Although the Dutch deposit return system has so far focused on plastic drink containers, it has also been estimated that 150 million beverage cans end up in the environment every year in the Netherlands. After the number of aluminum cans in the environment increased by 27% in 2020, the decision was made by the Dutch government to introduce a deposit on cans. A deposit is added to the price of eligible drink containers and is fully refunded to recyclers when they return the empties at collection points across the country for recycling.

It comes hot on the heels of complaints by customers about its new mince packaged in vacuum-sealed plastic.

But Sainsbury's has announced another shakeup that's designed to help the environment.

This time the grocery giant has removed single-use plastic trays from its whole chicken range.

That means the birds will only be covered in recyclable film.

It affects all five products in the range, which includes Sainsbury’s British Fresh Whole chicken in extra small (0.9-1.35kg), medium (1.6kg), large (1.9kg) and extra large (2.1kg).

After significant investment to meet this goal before 2025 in accordance with WRAP deadlines, Weetabix has reached this landmark two years ahead of schedule. All paper-based packaging components and Weetabix On The Go drinks bottles are widely recyclable at home, and plastic wrap components can be recycled with soft plastics at most major supermarkets.

The research, named the Go Orleans project, was led by the Agri-Food Business Federation of the Valencian Community (FEDACOVA), Aimplas, the Plastics Technology Centre, the Universitat de València, ADM Biopolis, and cheesemakers Dehesa Dos Hermanas and La Cabezuela. 

The team has also reintroduced wasted whey into the cheese industry as a probiotic ingredient for animal feed. Whey is a by-product that currently goes to waste in small and medium-sized cheese companies and can also cause environmental damage due to its high organic load.