Waitrose has relaunched its own-label Essential range with more than 200 new and refreshed lines, as well as new packaging. All products in the range, which first launched in 2009 and spans categories from skincare to yoghurts and frozen ingredients, have also been reviewed to meet the retailer’s strategy of making all own-brand packaging widely recyclable, reusable or home compostable by 2023.
The supermarket has committed to reduce Essential Waitrose packaging by 15%, with a total saving of almost 2,000 tonnes a year. The new range – which has been in the works for almost a year – had been developed to make it easier than ever to eat a healthy diet, Waitrose said.
A majority of the range includes products supporting a healthy, balanced diet, with at least a third of the products signposted with a ‘Good Health’ logo, which guarantees a clear nutritional benefit providing vitamins, minerals and healthier fats.
“Our Essential Waitrose range has been created by experts to exhibit the standout quality and value that Essential Waitrose products have to offer,” said Essential Waitrose brand manager Kate Gibbs.
“Our aim is to offer the highest welfare, quality and value products, which we know our customers expect. Supporting our farmers and suppliers remains a key priority and with the new design we hope our customers will be even more drawn to the range and the new products within it.”
Packaging changes to the refreshed range included:
Essential olives have moved from glass jars to steel cans, saving 92 tonnes of glass packaging a year The removal of zip seals from all essential dried fruit bags has saved two tonnes of plastic a year The essential chilled breads packaging has changed material to save just short of 1.5 tonnes annually Removing the plastic dust guard from the opening of essential tissue boxes has saved almost three tonnes of plastic a year For the whole of the essential frozen fruit range, all bags have moved to improved and fully recyclable packaging, saving almost a ton every year.
Waitrose packaging manager Karen Graley added: “We are committed to reducing the amount of packaging we use, for all our products. “For Essential Waitrose, we set ourselves the target of reducing packaging, including single-use plastic by 15%, which we are on track to do by September 2020. We are really proud of this as it helps us move even closer to eliminating unnecessary plastic and making all own-brand packaging widely recycled, reusable or home-compostable by 2023.”