Supermarket launches UK’s first tubeless kitchen foil

Cutting down on 12.5 million cardboard rolls being produced each year, supermarket giant Tesco has unveiled the UK’s first tubeless kitchen foil.

The retailer has said that this product has been made using a new “state-of-the-art” rolling machine, and customers across the UK will be able to purchase its latest product from February 2024.

“This new machine has revolutionised foil production, saving hundreds of tonnes of cardboard from needlessly being made in the first place,” said Bronwen Williams, Technical Manager of Tesco.

The move has been made as part of the supermarket’s mission to limit unnecessary packaging and is expected to save 330 tonnes of cardboard annually.

“We are continually looking at ways in which we can cut down on packaging in order to help the environment and hope, after starting with our top selling kitchen foil line, that we will be able to apply this to the rest of our foil range,” continued Williams.

Speaking on the machine that makes this core-less product possible, Tesco has said that the manufacturing process allows the foil to be rolled tightly around a spindle that has air vents in it. By pumping air into these vents it allows the aluminium foil to be gently released, the supermarkets says.

The sustainable step comes as part of the retailers 4Rs packaging strategy that aims to tackle the impact of packaging waste.

Tesco’s move to introduce tubeless kitchen foil aligns with a broader shift towards sustainable packaging. Such eco-friendly packaging practices could inspire other retailers to adopt similar measures, fostering a more sustainable approach to packing throughout the industry.