Grocery and liquor retailer Foodstuffs New Zealand’s recyclable butchery trays has been recognised with the country’s top waste minimisation initiative for 2016, at the Green Ribbon Awards in Wellington.

The grocery retailer’s kerbside-recyclable trays, made of 50 per cent recycled plastic, were recognised for being an innovative, sustainable solution to a environmental issue that has challenged retailers for years.

The trays are being rolled out nationwide and will be in use at all New World and Pak ’n Save stores by the end of July, and will replace the current trays that are made of non-recyclable polystyrene foam.

Mike Sammons, Foodstuffs NZ sustainability manager, who managed the project alongside Alto Packaging, said the Green Ribbon win is a “great recognition for a great kiwi solution”.

“It was a massive challenge finding a cost-efficient, functional, sustainable solution,” Sammons said.

“But we also knew the eventual pay-off would be worth it, in terms of the environmental benefits. To now take home the top prize in the waste reduction category makes that investment even more rewarding,” he added.

Sammons said single-use packaging doesn’t make financial or environmental sense.

“Going to the trouble of manufacturing a product from a finite resource, then using it once for a few days before relegating it to a landfill is simply inefficient and irresponsible,” he said.

Sammons said the clear trays are highly sought-after for recycling, which, he said, “will hopefully incentivise local packaging manufacturers to invest in reprocessing post-consumer packaging, thereby moving us closer to the ‘holy grail’ of closed loop recycling in New Zealand.”