Packers plans to cut back on poly packing and light weight packing for the first time in more than two decades, as they try to shrink their market share to win back lost customers.
The move comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has warned against the spread of the Zika virus and other microcephaly-related diseases.
A number of major retailers, including Walmart, Costco, Target and Kohl’s, have said they will reduce the number of packages in their stores from the current 40 million to 20 million.
They also plan to expand the size of packages.
A report from The Wall Street Journal last month showed that the pack is on track to shrink by about 15% in 2019, according to the National Packaging Council.
The reduction is the result of the growing demand for low-cost, light-weight packing that has come to define the retail landscape, the NPC said in a statement.
It expects the pack to grow by 10% in 2020.
Packers said they’re also looking at the use of a new packaging system to reduce the weight of the bags that shoppers buy, which they said is more cost-effective.
They’re also working to increase the amount of packing that is handled and recycled.
The decision comes as the U.K. is preparing to launch its first nationwide ban on importing the Zika-carrying mosquito from Latin America, the country that has the highest rate of microcePHaly.
In June, the U,K.
government banned the import of the insecticide at ports and other facilities, as well as other goods and services, including milk, cheese and coffee.
The country’s health ministry also ordered retailers to cease selling products with a price tag of more than $1,000.
The announcement by the U.,K.
came on the same day that Costco announced plans to reduce its pack size by nearly 15% and the Usports.com website announced a $15 rebate on its entire range of packs.
