Do you find it annoying when you're given wads of napkins and bags you don't need when buying our food? Many customers want a bag and a handful of napkins, but if you don't, then tell us. We won't mind. In 2007, we reduced the number of plastic bags we used by 24% simply by asking our customers if they actually wanted one. Our 'Again & Again Bag' (Pret's bag for life) has helped too.

We're currently investigating a replacement for our recycled plastic bag and will make our 'Again & Again Bag' more widely available. For now, if you take a recycled bag, why not reuse it? You'll probably get at least a month or two's use from each one (before recycling it again, of course).

We are committed to using packaging that is as environmentally friendly as possible. Our ultimate aim is to ensure all Pret packaging is made from recycled materials and can easily be recycled. We're nearly there. Currently, 96% of our packaging can be recycled. We're working very hard on the last 4%. 

Boxes

Our sandwich ‘bio-box’ and fully recyclable, biodegradable salad and cheesecake boxes were some of the first in the world.

We were the first retailer to move from plastic sandwich boxes to cardboard in the 1990s.

Today, our sandwich boxes (all shapes and sizes) are made with virgin board from sustainable forests with a water-based coating. This, combined with the cornstarch window, means that the box is 100% recyclable, biodegradable and compostable. Most other card boxes on the market are coated in polyethylene.

Pret Pots

We removed our range of biodegradable PLA (cornstarch) Pret Pots last year. Until the UK provides adequate composting sites and collection services, PLA packaging is not the best solution. Most PLA packaging ends up in landfill and never properly degrades. For now, we'll use recyclable plastic pots.

Little changes make all the difference

We work with all our suppliers to reduce ingredient packaging wherever we can and over the last few years have reduced the materials used across a number of packaging items. Just two examples: redesigning our baguette bags reduced the material used by 8.27 tonnes a year and changing our Pure Pret bottles will reduce PET plastic use by over 28,000kg in 2008.

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