Butlers has invested in its packaging strategy and has worked over the last 12 months to bring the new packaging to retailers. M&S will stock 'This is Proper', fully recyclable goats’ cheese from November 4, 2020.
Butlers’ PE packaging can be recycled as one unit without affecting shelf life. Cheese packaging is traditionally made up of several different polymers that make it difficult to recycle. Butlers’ new packaging is a single polymer, including the label and barrier (with different barriers developed for the type of cheese), meaning it can be widely recycled.
The company said sustainable cheese packaging does not have to be and should not be a goal for five years’ time, or for the 2022 plastic tax levy, and that it was not interested in short-term solutions like reduced plastic or TerraCycle recycling initiatives that rely on the end consumer.
Butlers is in phase two trials for its packaging, using natural alternatives such as seaweed.
Matthew Hall, owner at Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses said, "We now have a credible solution for the shopper that is doing the right thing for the environment. Transforming our packaging now, for the future, is a big step forward, and anyone wanting to leverage the growth within speciality cheese with a range of farmhouse cheeses that deliver great taste, real provenance and game-changing packaging, should get in touch."