What We’re Doing About Plastic?

Unsurprisingly, we’ve had quite a few queries about plastic recently, and we’re very happy to share what we’ve been up to behind the scenes at COOK to reduce – and hopefully eliminate – our use of it.

The biggest challenge has always been finding a tray that is both food safe and can go straight from the freezer to the oven. To date there hasn’t been a realistic alternative to plastic. However, the technology is finally catching up and we’re currently working on a trial to replace our plastic trays with a fully recyclable, paper-based version, similar to the kind we introduced with our new pie range last autumn. We’re going to start using it with all of our Kids Meals, and it will then take a few months to be sure that it’s robust enough for us to use more widely. Until the trial is complete it’s hard to give a realistic timeframe but we should have a good idea of the potential of the new tray material within the next six months. If all goes well, we’ll get the ball rolling as quickly as we can.

Of course, if the new trays don’t work, or only work for some dishes, we’re also looking at all the options for improved recycling of our current plastic tray. While they already contain 60% recycled plastic material and are in theory fully recyclable, the way most recycling centres operate in the UK means hardly any of this type of plastic is actually recycled, as the material isn’t as valuable to the recycling companies compared with other types of plastic. So we’re exploring what steps we could take ourselves (for example, could we have collection points in shops and a direct relationship with a recycling company). That said, our priority is to find a long-term alternative to plastic.

As a certified B Corp, we’re committed to reducing our overall impact on the environment (for instance, last year we moved to 100% renewable electricity at our kitchens), and have to pass a tough, external test every two years to make sure COOK is being run as a business that’s good for society.

So, no big PR announcement from us. We believe in deeds not words, and until we’ve got some genuine progress to report, we’ll keep working hard behind the scenes to solve the plastic problem.