Vitacress introduces recyclable plastic for living herb pots

Vitacress is introducing recyclable plastic packaging to its living herb pots and in doing so eliminating the black plastic pots it currently uses. The new grey pots contain 90% recycled content, and will be used for all fresh sowings on the business’ West Sussex nursery from July 2018.

Vitacress recognised the challenge highlighted by WRAP that black plastic packaging can’t be sent for recycling by local authorities and that most is ultimately diverted to landfill. In switching to grey packaging, the company is ensuring that the 20 million living herb pots it packs every year can be recycled.

The new pots are rolling out next month and, by the end of September 2018, all the business’ living herb pots will be grey, meaning more than 176 tonnes of plastic waste – currently going into landfill – can be recycled every year.

Vitacress Herbs, which supplies a number of UK supermarkets with living and fresh cut herbs, is committed to caring for, protecting and enhancing nature and the communities in which it operates. The business’ long-term goal is to make all packaging elements more sustainable, and made with either 100% recyclable or renewable materials.

Simon Conway, Managing Director of Vitacress Herbs: “Anyone who watched the Blue Planet programme in late 2017 can’t fail to appreciate the damaging impact that single use plastic is having on our planet today."

“Vitacress Herbs is committed to making our world a better place in terms of sustainability and I am proud of the speed at which our team have worked to move away from an unrecyclable black pot to a recyclable one. Our research and development teams are now looking to develop sustainable non-plastic solutions.”

For more information:
Vitacress Press Office
Tel.: +44 01189 475956
Email: vitacress@ceres-pr.co.uk