Walking down the fruit and veg aisle looking for healthy food to stock your kitchen can be an infuriating experience for anyone conscious of the horrific damage plastic has on the environment.

It’s estimated that more than 300 million tonnes of plastic is produced each year and eight million tonnes is dumped in the ocean each year.

So why do supermarkets persist in shoving every fruit and vegetable under the sun, many of which have their own natural casing, in plastic bags?

Trial

Well, finally UK supermarket Tesco is trialling a scheme to remove some plastic wrapped fruit and vegetables from its stores in an aim to cut down on packaging waste.

This is only a stepping stone, as the test will only take place at two stores owned by the UK’s biggest supermarket chain – in Watford and Swindon.

45 different fruit and vegetables will be placed on shelves in their pure, natural form with no unnecessary plastic.

This includes apples, onions, mushrooms, peppers, bananas and avocados – all of which can be bought and transported perfectly well in their natural casing.

Tesco has also pledged to ban hard-to-recycle plastic packages by 2019 and make all packaging fully recyclable by 2025.

Food waste

Tesco’s director of quality Sarah Bradbury told the Evening Standard: “We want to remove as much plastic as we can from our products, only using what is necessary to protect and preserve our food.

“We hope this trial proves popular with customers.  We’ll be keeping a close eye on the results, including any impact on food waste.

“Whatever happens, we’re going to keep reducing the amount of packaging we use and ensure everything on our shelves is fully recyclable.”

What do you think of Tesco’s trial? Tell us in the comments section below!

Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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