The Ice Co. is breaking boundaries in the ice supply business, having developed a more sustainable alternative to widely used plastic packaging. The Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England-based company’s Super Cubes and Spring Water Ice Cubes bags are certified as “100% recyclable as paper.” believed to be a first in frozen aisles of UK retail stores.
The company recognized how consumers are becoming more focused on sustainability, and how much this can impact their decision making process. This insight led the fully recyclable packaging that should appeal to environmentally-conscious shoppers.
“We are really excited to be bringing these recyclable paper bags to market,” said Polly Metcalfe, managing director of The Ice Co. “This innovation means that as a business we can have a lesser impact on the planet. On average around 80% of paper is recycled in the UK, compared to just 40% of plastic, so being first to debut and test this is really important to us. I believe we’re pioneers of this in the frozen category. Hopefully a lot of brands will follow suit and we can lead the way to a more sustainable future.”
Metcalf continued: “Not only does the plastic-free packaging have benefits for the consumer, but for retailers. it’s a superb social and corporate responsibility initiative, and a clear way to work towards the Global Climate Change Agreement.”
The Ice Co. has now completed stage one of its wider sustainability drive, which saw the business switch to 100% green and renewable energy. Stage two’s goal to “reduce, remove, and eliminate” has already begun and recently saw the manufacturer reducing its plastic packaging by 30%, which in-turn sparked the innovation for the new paper packaging.
