DOZENS of major organisations have signed up to an ambitious pact to eliminate all unnecessary plastic packaging within the next seven years.

Many major supermarkets, plus big brands including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, and Unilever, have teamed up with the government to tackle the staggering amount of plastic waste they create.

The 40+ businesses who have signed up to the first-of-its-kind UK Plastics Pact are responsible for more than 80 per cent of plastic packaging on products sold through UK supermarkets.

One of the promises which companies have agreed to is to make of their plastic packaging ready for recycling or composting by 2025.

The pact also includes pledges to eliminate difficult or unnecessary single use plastic packaging through better design, ensure that 70 per cent of plastic packaging is recycled or composted, and include recycled material in 30 per cent of all plastic packaging.

Justin Tomlinson MP said: “This is a real coup, with the government, retailers and trade associations joining together to make a real tangible difference.

“This pro-active approach will reduce plastic waste using innovation to radically change packaging.

“This is something I will continue to push on in parliament.”

Led by the sustainability campaign group WRAP, the pact aims to create a ‘circular economy for plastics’ which will significantly reduce plastic waste and thus prevent further damage to the environment.

WRAP’s chief executive Marcus Gover, said: “This requires a whole scale transformation of the plastics system and can only be achieved by bringing together all links in the chain under a shared commitment to act.

“That is what makes the UK Plastics Pact unique, it unites every body, business and organisation with a will to act on plastic pollution.

“We will never have a better time to act, and together we can.”

Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium,, said:“Major retailers will be at the heart of The UK Plastics Pact to help drive innovation in reducing and re-using plastics.

"The UK retail industry is leading the way in protecting the environment by reducing single-use plastic."

For more information about the initiative, visit wrap.org.uk