Morrisons sells own-brand milk in carbon neutral cartons in ‘UK supermarket first’

Nine types of Morrisons fresh milk are now sold in Tetra Pak cartons with the aim of saving an initial 100 tonnes of plastic a year.

Morrisons is selling its own-brand fresh milk in accredited carbon neutral Tetra Pak cartons in what it claims is a first among UK supermarkets (Morrisons/PA)

Morrisons has started selling its own-brand fresh milk in carbon neutral cartons in a move it claims is a first among UK supermarkets.

Nine types of Morrisons fresh milk are now sold in Tetra Pak cartons with the aim of saving an initial 100 tonnes of plastic a year.

The grocer has also moved the majority of its own-label fresh juice from plastic bottles to cartons to remove another 678 tonnes of plastic per year.

The retailer said fresh milk was currently “one of the single biggest users of plastic packaging within UK supermarkets, accounting for approximately 10% of all plastic used”.

The new Morrisons fresh milk cartons are made from plant-based paperboard which is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified. They feature a very thin layer of plastic coating and twist caps made from polyethylene which is derived from sustainably-sourced sugar cane.

The cartons are certified carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust and are recyclable at the kerbside in most UK regions and at recycling banks across the country.

Tony Fearon, dairy category director at Morrisons, said: “Fresh milk does not need to be in a plastic bottle. It keeps just as fresh in a carton.

“Fresh milk is the top user of plastic packaging in our stores, so this will result in significant plastic reduction. Tetra Pak has also been independently verified as a better sustainable packaging option. If customers take to it, we could be looking to move all of our fresh milk to Tetra Pak cartons in time.”

Hugh Jones, from the Carbon Trust, said: “We welcome this move by Morrisons towards reducing the environmental impact of its milk packaging.

“Our Carbon Trust ‘Carbon Neutral’ label, which will feature on these milk products in their new Tetra Pak packaging, recognises the CO2 reduction of this move and certifies that the cradle-to-grave carbon footprint of the packaging is in line with targets.”

The nine milk lines come in 500ml, one-litre and two-litre sizes and cover skimmed, semi-skimmed and whole milk options. They are priced at 60p for 500ml, 95p for one-litre and £1.25 for two litres.

The move is the latest initiative from Morrisons to remove plastic packaging from its stores and follows other commitments.

It was the first supermarket to introduce paper carrier bags at checkouts in 2019, launched plastic-free banana packaging last year and announced plans to replace toilet and kitchen roll plastic packaging with paper alternatives earlier this month.