Imagine this. In the future, you get in from a long, hard day. You open fridge a take out a slab of pasta and pop it into the microwave. Soon it goes ping, and you happily enjoy it with a nice glass of wine. If that doesn’t seem remotely high tech; think about that scenario again. What’s missing from that equation is the guilt inducing mass of packaging a ready meal normally produces. That’s because if WRAP, the Waste & Resources Action Program have their way, soon that packaging will be a thing of the past. And as they have just received 8 million from the government with the aim of reducing household waste by 310,000 tonnes by March 2006, it might happen sooner that you think.
WRAP are targeting the producers of such convenience meals, as they are undoubtedly the worst culprits in the wasteful packaging department. Environment Minister, Elliot Morley said last week This is a major step forward in reducing the 30 million tonnes of household waste that is produced every year. Of course, there is a limit to how much each household can minimize their waste production, as Jennie Price, Chief Executive of WRAP comments.Many consumers are becoming more aware of how much rubbish they are generating. They are recycling more and more, but there is relatively little they can do to control how the goods they buy are presented and packaged. Supermarkets and their supply chains have a major influence on what ends up in the household dustbin, and WRAP is working with them to develop innovative products and packaging to reduce waste. So what will it this new non packaging look like? Remember your pasta meal? Well imagine it being covered in a fine film that melts into your food; or becomes the sauce itself. So next we just need to find away for the dishes to wash themselves.
Visit www.wrap.org.uk