Dairy brands are looking to do the right thing, as it’s clear shoppers want the industry to take the lead.
As with every sector, sustainability is in the mind of dairy consumers, retailers and brands alike. Consumers care about sustainability, but they feel it is the job of the brands and retailers to present them with the solution - Kantar’s recent Who Cares, Who Does study reveals that only 20% of people believe that it is their responsibility to use less plastic. It might just be however that legislation gets there first, with the 2022 Plastics Tax recently announced.
And when it comes to sustainability, sometimes the old ways are the best. There is some evidence that the milkman is coming back into fashion; in the year to October 2019, milk delivery gained 7% more shoppers. This is a positive move away from plastic, bearing in mind that 99% of the packs sold in this channel are glass bottles. As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was felt, even more were attracted to the channel to the point that food essentials delivery service Milk & More shut to new subscriptions and had to operate a queuing system for access to its website. Only time will tell if this new customer base will stick with doorstep delivery once the crisis has receded.
As part of Unilever’s #GetPlasticWise intiative, the Solero organic peach range was launched in wrapper-less packaging this year as a trial, achieving a 35% reduction in plastic compared with the original format. The recyclable cardboard packaging was created with compartments to maintain the quality of the product with less need for plastic wrapping.
It can be a big job to minimise a brand’s environmental footprint, acknowledged by Cathedral City as it announced its plan to make all packaging recyclable by 2022. The UK’s second biggest dairy brand grew by 5% this year; mature cheddar is the best performing variant, with the brand’s 550g pack driving growth. The brand also launched The Big Slice format and lactose-free block cheese.
