Reusable containers brought by customers to supermarkets, the proof of Greenpeace: the law is not respected in 56% of cases – video – Il Fatto Quotidiano

The law exists, but it is not enforced. And the Climate Decree of 12 December 2019, which allows customers to supermarkets to “use your own containers as long as reusable, clean and suitable for food use”. Except that once you get in front of the counter of the gastronomy the story changes: consumers asking to be packaged cured meatolives and cheeses in containers brought from home, instead of those provided by the supermarketare often not satisfied. Three years have passed since the approval of the text with which Italy aligned itself with other European states (for example PolandBelgium and France), yet in many chains it is still not possible to adopt this practice virtuous. The new reveals it video investigation from Greenpeace, previewed by ilfattoquotidiano.it as part of the campaignPlastic trolleys‘ and made by volunteers of theenvironmental organization in ten Italian cities, inside brand supermarkets Conadcoop, SelexVegé, EurospinEsselunga and Sogegross. “It is unacceptable that this sales method is still little known to the sales staff so much so that it was denied to customers in more than half of the supermarkets we visited. It is urgent to adapt immediately to one legislation designed to reduce waste that we could avoid” is the comment of Joseph Hungarianhead of Greenpeace’s Pollution campaign.

The Greenpeace investigation and the ilfattoquotidiano.it call to action – Of the 54 points of sale visited, only 24 (the 44.4%) it was possible to use your own container brought from home instead of the common ones packaging disposable to buy bulk foods such as sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, olives. In the remaining 30 supermarkets (55.6%) sales in this way were not permitted by the staff. Despite the law. And if the NGO’s investigation led to this resultmuch more can supporters of de ilfattoquotidiano.it with their testimonies. Go into supermarkets and ask to be able to take home what you bought in the your containers. Then tell us about your experience by sending an email to redazioneweb@ilfattoquotidiano.it, so let us know what they replied to you. Meanwhile, ‘Plastic Carts’ tells you how she went to Greenpeace. Equipped with a hidden camera or smartphonesvolunteers went to Italian supermarkets, bringing fresh products to the counter containers compliant with current regulations and, therefore, manufactured in material suitable in contact with food, equipped with cover and clean. The staff, in fact, can refuse the use of this type of packaging where it considers that there are no conditions hygienicbut this never happened in the course of the investigation.

The ‘motivations’ provided and the different performances even within the same chains – The survey was conducted from October 20 to November 21, 2022 in 54 supermarkets belonging to the most important chains in terms of market shares on the national territory: 14 Conad, 13 Coop, 7 Selex (Alì, OkEurospar, MarketSole 365), 7 Végé (Bennet, Eté, EuroesseEurospend, Maxi Bosco), 5 Eurospin, 4 Esselunga and 4 Sogegross (Doro, Ekom). Ten cities examined: BariBologna, Florence, Genoa, MilanNaples, PisaRome, Turin and Trieste. In the 30 supermarkets where the use of containers brought from home was not allowed, supermarket operators often referred to other issues such as the lack of provisionsthe impossibility of affixing it receipt (and then make payment) or lack of authorization to use food containers of unknown origin. Not only. In many of the cases where the opportunity to purchase has been denied, a large majority of staff have stated that they are unaware of the envisaged provisions by the climate decree. Analyzing the results, it emerges how the application of the provisions of the climate decree is also variable in supermarkets belonging to the same chain. Only 7 of the 14 Conads visited allowed the use of the reusable container, 2 out of 13 Coop, 2 out of 4 Esselunga, 2 out of 5 Eurospin, 5 out of 7 Selex, 2 out of 4 Sogegross and 4 out of 7 Végé. This seems to confirm, he explains Greenpeace“the absence of provisions from the parent company and suggest that the possibility of purchase with its own reusable container is entrusted to availability and to the goodwill of the individual employee”.

The deficient policies of Italian supermarkets – A situation that must change, also in the light of the recent proposal of European regulation on packaging waste, which provides for the growing use of reuse for some product categories such as drinks hot and cold, ready-to-go food, alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic. “Not only i Italian supermarkets they continue to base their business on the massive use of single-use plastic and lack investments in reuse systems – he adds Joseph Hungarian – but even often deny the application of regulations in force on reusable containers”. As shown by the recent survey by Greenpeace And ilfattoquotidiano.it on theuse of disposable plastic in Italian supermarketsin fact, most of the companies analyzed do not yet have a concrete plan to do without fraction single useincrease the sale of products with reuse and refill systems and move away from a model of business pollutant.

The ‘Sballata Spending’ bears fruit – “And yet – explains Ungherese – the sale of products with reusable containers it is already possible in many realities, including some chains supermarkets Italians and Europeans”. In the province of Varesefor example, the new legislation introduced by the Climate Decree inspired the initiative ‘Busted spending‘, by the Cooperative Totem. The families who participated in the initiative, which took place in the midst of the pandemic from COVID-19not only had the opportunity to buy with their own containers fresh products at the deli counter, but also fruit and vegetables with reusable nets and baked goods (such as bread) with canvas bags. The result? With the trial conducted in 2020 and 2021, every year and every customer has spared the consumption of about 170 single-use packaging, without them being detected sicknesshealth problems or non-compliance of hygienic naturedespite the initiative taking place in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.