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Supermarkets: Environment Protection

Volume 476: debated on Tuesday 3 June 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to engage leading supermarkets in programmes to foster the environmental enhancement of local communities. (207069)

Food and drink packaging makes up a large proportion of the litter people drop, and the Government are working with food outlets, manufacturers and retailers to address this. “Reducing litter caused by food on the go—A Voluntary Code of Practice” launched in October 2004, is one example. Fast food operators, shops and supermarkets are encouraged to sign up to this “Code of Practice”, which then commits them to work in partnership with the council to improve their local environment, for instance by providing additional bins, staffing regular litter sweeps around their outlets, conducting research into waste minimisation and promoting the anti-litter message to their customers.