Ahead of World Oceans day on June 8, we take a look back at the last year helping to tackle the global ocean pollution crisis.
Copernus is proud to work in partnership with the Prevented Ocean Plastic programme, a global recycling initiative that helps tens of thousands of people around the world to earn their living, clean their coastlines and prevent ocean plastic.
In March 2020, Copernus became the first fish processor in the UK to make a pledge to use ocean bound recycled materials in most of our packaging.
Lidl initially rolled out the packaging across fresh fish products in partnership with Copernus, representing more than 50% of the discounter’s fish lines and including white fish and salmon, with plans to roll out the packaging across its entire fresh fish range in 2021.
The packaging, developed with our partners Sharpak, part of Groupe Guillin, and Bantam Materials, enabled us to move to a widely recyclable base material and is made from 80% recycled content and a minimum of 30% of the weight of the tray is made up of ocean-bound plastic.
Dean Simpson, Copernus’ managing director, said: “It’s an honour for us to be part of the journey towards cleaner global waters, reducing the carbon footprint of our products.
“Our partnership with Prevented Ocean Plastic will initially prevent more than 60 metric tons of plastic from being introduced to the sea per year, which is the equivalent of 2.5m plastic water bottles.
“This commitment provides customers with the assurance that Copernus fish products are sourced from the most sustainable fisheries and farms and packaged in materials from sustainable sources, in order to drive a circular economy.”
Ocean bound plastic is plastic found within 50km (30 miles) of an ocean coastline or major waterway that feeds into the ocean. This is specific to countries and regions that lack waste management infrastructure, often those places that have been overwhelmed by population growth or tourism. There is also a significant risk to wildlife if plastic contaminates their ecosystem.
Every year more than 12 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the ocean. The recycled plastic packaging from Copernus products can be traced back to the coastlines of South East Asia.
As partners of Prevented Ocean Plastic, Copernus is contributing to the prevention of over 1000 tonnes of plastic from entering the ocean every month, benefiting coastal communities & the environment.
For more information, visit https://www.preventedoceanplastic.com/
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