Supermarkets lag behind in green stakes

LEADING supermarkets are making little progress in increasing their recyclable packaging, a report out today said.

Up to 38 per cent of packaging cannot be recycled, down just two per cent from the first report in October last year, the Local Government Association warned.

Retailers still have "a lot further to go" if Britain is to hit recycling targets and avoid landfill tax and EU fines, the survey found.

Marks & Spencer and Lidl used the lowest percentage of packaging which could be recycled, at 62 per cent. M&S took the same title last year.

And Lidl was again the worst offender when it came to total volume of packaging used, with a basket of groceries using 813g, up from 799.5g last year.

LGA environment board chairman Cllr Paul Bettison said: "The days of the cling-film coconut must come to an end.

"We all have a responsibility to reduce the amount of waste being thrown into landfill, which is damaging the environment and contributing to climate change.

"Families will be pleased to see that more packaging in their shopping baskets can now be recycled. However, this survey shows there is still a lot further to go."