Almost half the packaging used by UK supermarkets can’t be easily recycled, a study has found.
Consumer watchdog Which? looked into the wrapping of 46 of the most popular items from Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Iceland, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
An average of only 52 per cent of the packaging could be put into household recycling bins with ease.
Morrisons had the most packaging that could not be easily recycled at 61 per cent, as many of its items came with non-recyclable plastic film, closely followed by the Co-op at 58 per cent. Tesco and Waitrose were found to be the best for recyclable wrapping, as 40 per cent of their packaging could not be easily recycled.
The study also found the amount of packaging labelled incorrectly or not at all was 42 per cent, increasing the chances of it ending up in landfill.
Iceland only had two in five pieces correctly labelled.
Asda led the way, correctly labelling 78 per cent of its items.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said that to reduce the waste that goes to landfill, Government must make labelling mandatory, simple and clear to ensure recycling is easy for everyone.
