Spinneys becomes first UAE retailer to transition to recycled plastic packaging, in partnership with Al Bayader International

In the historic Year of Sustainability, Spinneys, one of the UAE’s leading fresh food retailers, has announced its partnership with packaging manufacturer Al Bayader International to introduce recycled plastic packaging (rPET) across its stores.

With the help of regional partners, Al Bayader collects and converts plastic waste into post-consumer recycled plastic (rPET), diverting significant waste away from landfills. The rPET is then developed into innovative sustainable packaging solutions for Spinneys’ private label ‘SpinneysFOOD’. The partnership represents a significant and environmentally positive step forward for Spinneys, with rPET packaging using significantly less water, energy, and fossil fuels than standard ‘virgin’ PET packaging, meaning the new packaging is expected to result in 20% fewer CO2 emissions.

In the first phase of the transition, the new recycled packs, containing 30% rPET will be found in Spinneys’ bakery across the popular SpinneysFOOD packaged croissants and muffin ranges. As a result, Spinneys expects to reduce its annual CO2 emissions consumption by a measurable six metric tonnes. Additionally, this initiative puts Spinneys in the spotlight for diverting two tons of virgin PET away from landfills each year, highlighting a strong environmental commitment.

Each pack using the new recycled packaging has its own “Al Bayader Recycl’d” QR code on the label, allowing customers to scan and trace the date the recycled plastic product was manufactured and the precise percentage of rPET content it contains. This is intended to bolster customer confidence in this initiative, with the recycled plastic content independently tracked by R-Cycle’s platform, a European open traceability standard and software that provides a digital passport for recycled packaging material.

Warwick Gird, General Manager, Marketing at Spinneys, commented: “We are incredibly proud to bring recycled plastic packaging to our SpinneysFOOD private label range, as we focus on making meaningful progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals and our sustainability commitments. We could not have achieved this important milestone in our sustainable journey without the innovation and dedication of our packaging partner Al Bayader and we look forward to expanding this project, creating further positive impacts for the environment.”

Under its wider sustainability strategy, Spinneys follows a ‘life cycle assessment’ for all new packaging and product design, considering the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle – including greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and pollution impacts. Falling under this process, the new rPET packaging is part of Spinneys circular packaging strategy to reduce the use of ‘virgin’ materials.

“We are proud and thrilled to announce Spinneys as our pioneering retail partner and first UAE retailer to switch to our Recycl’d rPET packaging. This carries significant benefits for the environment and helps us tackle climate change and move a step further towards net zero carbon emissions. As a leading regional packaging manufacturer with over 30 years of experience, we remain dedicated to offering the most sustainable products in the market. This partnership is a key step in leading the transition to recycled packaging and achieving the UAE’s 2031 Circular Economy Vision,” said Jamil Haddad, Group Vice President – Strategic Marketing at Al Bayader International.

In the build-up to the highly anticipated 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 28) to the UNFCCC hosted by the UAE from 30 November to 12 December, both Spinneys and Al Bayader are proud to be closely aligned with the UAE government’s Circular Economy Policy and 2031 vision to achieving sustainable governance in the priority areas of food production, manufacturing, consumption and infrastructure.