Asda says the sustainable packaging agenda will only be 'sustainable' as long there is a clear connection for consumers with lower prices.
Speaking at a beverage sector conference organised by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Asda buying manager for packaging Shane Monkman explained how its cost-cutting approach had been given additional impetus by the downturn.
"People are walking around the aisles with a shopping list in one hand and a calculator in the other," he reported. "They're on a budget." Like most retailers, Asda has seen an increase in sales of economy ranges.
Monkman added: "Linking sustainability to lower prices has to be the way forward. That's the only way it's going to survive."
Some material choices, such as food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), can make sense on a cost as well as an environmental basis. But converters such as Artenius PET Packaging are concerned about retailer commitment.
At the same conference, Artenius UK sales director George Hendry asked: "If the virgin price drops below rPET prices, will retailers commit to keep using recycled content?" Of the three UK retailers present, none volunteered to answer this question.
Other materials, such as aluminium for trays, have a high value in the recycling chain but are also more expensive.
Earlier at the event, WRAP special adviser Mark Barthel argued: "Yes, consumers want value in what they're buying, but they also want values." Asda's view is that 'values' in isolation will have less impact.
WRAP predicts carbon footprint will become more important than packaging weight.
In 2007, Asda undertook to cut the weight of its packaging by 25% before the end of 2008.