Tesco Lotus dumps polystyrene in bid to tackle waste crisis

The retailer said it will also adopt a collaborative approach to launch several other initiatives on the occasion of World Environment Day 2019 on June 5 to tackle Thailand’s waste crisis stemming from improper management of single-use packaging and food containers.
Salinla Seehaphan, corporate affairs director, Tesco Lotus, said: “As a retailer that operates a network of more than 2,000 stores in Thailand, we realise the contributions we can make to help alleviate waste problems and their impact on the environment. As a result, we will stop the use of polystyrene foam food containers in all of our stores from July 1, 2019. We have begun the transition and will be 100 per cent foam free by that time. In place of foam trays and containers, we will switch to plastic containers which are 100 per cent recyclable.
“In addition to the removal of polystyrene foam trays, Tesco Lotus will continue to make progress in our commitment to reduce the environmental impact from packaging used in our business operations with an aim to create a closed loop packaging system.” 
She said that on the occasion of World Environment Day 2019, the retailer will also launch other key initiatives “by collaborating with all sectors in order to create a higher impact and sustainable change”. She said the initiatives will cover the whole value chain of packaging from design, produce, use, recover and recycle.
She said the high impact and sustainable solutions to waste problems must come from collaboration of all parties involved. “Tesco Lotus would like to call on the government, industry leaders, as well as the general public, to work together to design, produce, use, recover, and recycle single-use packaging more efficiently. Tesco Lotus will continue our efforts to simplify materials and design, increase recovery and recycling, and make it easier for customers to do more,” she said.