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SLidl IrelandU/Northern IrelPand | SustainaPbility Progress LReport 201Y8/19 CHAIN EN THE PROLIFERATION OF PLASTIC IN MODERN DAY LIFE IS DEVASTATING FOR THE PLANET. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 40% OF PLASTIC IS USED ONLY ONCE AND AROUND NINE MILLION TONNES OF PLASTICENDUPINTHEOCEANEACHYEAR.* ITIS,HOWEVER,IMPORTANTTONOTETHATPLASTIC PACKAGING SERVES IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS - SUCH AS PROTECTING GOODS IN TRANSPORT, EXTENDING SHELF LIFE AND COMMUNICATING PRODUCT INFORMATION TO CUSTOMERS. In 2018 China, the world’s largest recyclable materials importer, decided to ban the importation of plastics from European countries, including Ireland. In direct response to this, flexible plastics were classified as unrecyclable locally. This presents a challenge for us in meeting our product recyclability targets as a significant portion of customer packaging is flexible. Agricultural Inputs Highlight By changing the neck finish of the bottle and compacting the cap, we have reduced the plastic in our Carrick Glen Irish Still Spring water by 30%. Resources and Agriculture Supply Chain and Processing Cultivation & Harvesting Animal Keeping Production Processing Transportation Logistics Centre It is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the sea than fish. Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s ‘New Plastics Economy Report’. Operations and Processes Customer and Society Transportation Stores and Services Purchase Usage Disposal VIR TAL ST DAR ON M EN AN D Our Approach We are working proactively with suppliers and industry partners to reduce plastic use and improve the recyclability of these materials in our own-brand products. We recently discontinued the sale of single-use plastic items including plastic drinking straws, disposable plastic cups and glasses, plates and cutlery in stores. In the coming months, we have also committed to discontinuing the sale of plastic-stemmed cotton buds in stores nationwide. We are currently working with suppliers to replace the products with biodegradable alternatives and are committing to the end of 2019 as a deadline. Additional measures in our Sustainable Plastic Strategy include the elimination of microbeads in all cosmetic and household ranges and the removal of unrecyclable black plastic from a number of categories. Black plastic packaging is not reclyclable in Ireland or Northern Ireland because recycling sorting systems cannot detect the carbon black pigment. * National Geographic 2018 S page 33