Numa embrulhada: O que os supermercados da Europa não nos estão a dizer sobre o plástico

The report finds that European supermarkets generally exhibit low ambition and transparency regarding plastic pollution, with a global average score of only 13.1%. Most retailers prioritize recyclability over waste prevention and reuse, often relying on voluntary commitments and 'greenwashing' tactics rather than systemic changes. While some UK and Irish retailers score higher, there is significant inconsistency within international groups, and very few support binding government targets or comprehensive deposit return systems.

• European supermarkets show very poor overall performance in addressing plastic pollution, with a global average score of 13.1 out of 100. Only two companies exceeded 60%: Aldi in the UK (65.3%) and Aldi in Ireland (61%).
• Transparency and performance are critically low, with 82% of evaluated companies failing to provide basic information on their plastic footprint. The average score for packaging reusability was only 5.1%, and no company scored above 40% in this specific category.
• Retailers demonstrate low ambition in their commitments to reduce plastic, averaging 17.1% of available points. Specifically, commitments to increase refillable or reusable packaging were the weakest, scoring an average of only 3.3%.
• Support for government policy is minimal, with an average score of 12.7%. Only five retailers (Aldi Ireland, Aldi Denmark, Aldi UK, Lidl UK, and BioCoop in France) strongly support a comprehensive deposit return system (SDR) that includes all materials and capacities.
• There is a significant disparity in performance by country and within international corporate groups. UK retailers led with an average of 39.6%, while those in Estonia averaged 0.9%. For example, Aldi Süd scored over 60% in the UK and Ireland but only 11% in Austria (operating as Hofer).
• The report identifies 'greenwashing' practices, noting that some supermarkets attempt to recycle non-recyclable plastics. In the UK, Tesco and Sainsbury’s used flexible plastic collection boxes, but the waste was exported to Turkey, where it was reportedly dumped and incinerated illegally.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2022). Numa embrulhada: O que os supermercados da Europa não nos estão a dizer sobre o plástico. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Underwraps-Portuguese-ExecSum.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Numa embrulhada: O que os supermercados da Europa não nos estão a dizer sobre o plástico. 2022. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Underwraps-Portuguese-ExecSum.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Numa embrulhada: O que os supermercados da Europa não nos estão a dizer sobre o plástico |date=May 2022 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Underwraps-Portuguese-ExecSum.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2022numa, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Numa embrulhada: O que os supermercados da Europa não nos estão a dizer sobre o plástico}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Underwraps-Portuguese-ExecSum.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }