Plastic

Plastic is an effective and safe material when it comes to packaging products to protect them and extend their durability. It is also an effective material from the transport point of view due to its low weight. However, the negative environmental impact of the plastic means that its use must be minimized in the long term.

Over the past 50 years, plastic production and consumption of plastics in the world has increased significantly. Since plastics are usually made from fossil raw materials such as crude oil, it has an impact on climate and the environment. The plastic also creates problems when it becomes waste and ends up in nature and the oceans instead of being reused or recycled. 

Regulation of plastic use

In 2019, the EU decided on a directive on single use plastic, with measures for the negative impact of certain plastic products on the environment. Some single use plastic items are prohibited while others are to be reduced in consumption, or separate collection will be required. EU Member States are introducing requirements and measures to prevent and reduce the negative impact of plastics on the environment from 2021.

More sustainable use

Lantmännen uses plastic as an important component of several types of our packaging to protect products, extend their shelf life and thereby ensure a reduced food waste, which is another important sustainability issue.

We also sell plastic protection for silage. Silage plastic sold to farmers is almost 100 percent recyclable today. In 2020, all plastic offered by Lantmännen will be recyclable. We also work for more efficient use and improved collection of recycled plastic. Work with suppliers and producers is underway to find products with lower climate impact.

Lantmännen has a strategy for plastic use, which means that the issue of responsible and sustainable plastic use is driven throughout the Group. The ambition is to use only fossil-free or recycled plastic from the year 2030.

Lantmännen strives to be in the forefront in the transition to a more sustainable use of plastics in all operations. The goals included in the plastic strategy help to clarify the way forward and enable continuous follow-up of outcomes. Read about how we work with the strategy in the Annual report with Sustainability Report. 

Lantmännen’s strategy for plastic:

• The goal of annually improving the efficiency of our plastic consumption by 1 percent can be achieved by reducing the thickness and size and by replacing materials in packaging to optimize the plastic consumption and cost per unit sold. . In total, the efficiency rate for plastic use was 2.8 percent during the year, meaning that the target of 1 percent was achieved.

• During 2023, we continued to work towards the goal of all packaging material being recyclable, and at the end of the year the proportion of recyclable packaging was 98.3 percent. The target is 100 %

• EU requires that all manufacturers take responsibility for what happens to their packaging after consumption until 2025. This means that we must have clear procedures and plans for each type of packaging.

• In order to become independent of fossil fuels, we must stop using so-called virgin plastic and instead use plastics made from renewable materials.