Mainland reached a level of virgin plastic savings of more than 4,200 tonnes in 2020

Continente’s efforts to promote a more responsible use of plastic achieved remarkable results in 2020.

Continente joined, through the Sonae MC group to which it belongs, the New Plastics Economy pact, an initiative of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, which brings together more than 400 companies and institutions. The main objective is that, by 2025, all packaging should be 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable, avoiding the use of unnecessary plastic and its waste. In 2020, one year after joining, the Sonae MC group stood out in the Foundation’s Annual Report with one of the best results in the world among the signatories of the commitment.

Sonae MC is the fourth company worldwide with the highest percentage of reusable plastic already incorporated into its packaging (13.4%). On the national scene, it is the retailer with the highest percentage of packaging that is effectively reused, recyclable or compostable (55%) and the seventh highest worldwide.

These are some of the changes Continente implemented last year to reduce its use of plastic:

• Fish bags with 40% less plastic – Continente has presented an innovative solution for fish bags that will save 70 tonnes of plastic per year.
• Bakery bags without plastic windows – With this pioneering change at national level, 94 tonnes of virgin plastic will be saved per year.
• Reduction of plastic in the fruit shop – Continente has taken the initiative to replace the plastic alveoli in fruit boxes with similar pieces made of cardboard. It is estimated that this measure will save 115 tonnes of plastic annually
• Coffee capsules with less plastic – The coffee in the Continente brand’s exclusive system has a new, more compact packaging made from 100% recyclable cardboard, saving 26 tonnes of plastic per year.

All of Continente’s action has been driven by its “Plastics Strategy”. One of its major commitments is to bring forward to 2025 the target set by the European Union for 2030 and to ensure that all own-brand plastic packaging placed on the market is reusable or can be recycled in an economically efficient way.