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Tesco has removed a selection of plastic wrapped fruit and vegetable products from two of its stores.
A total of 45 packaged foods have been taken out the Watford Extra and Swindon Extra stores including varieties of apples, mushrooms, peppers, onions, bananas and avocados.
The supermarket chain said the move is part of its plan to move towards sustainable packaging, by trialling removing packaged fruit and veg wherever a loose alternative exists. It will be surveying shoppers in the stores to help understand the reaction to the trial and will be closely monitoring each of the included products to see if there is an increase in food waste.
The initiative is part of Tesco’s commitment to reduce the amount of packaging in its stores and ensure any remaining plastic has a clear purpose and is recyclable.
Tesco’s director of quality Sarah Bradbury said: “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.”
Last year, Tesco announced its intention to stop packing products in hard to recycle materials by the end of 2019. It has also committed to halve packaging weight by 2025, make all packaging fully recyclable by 2025 and ensure all paper and board used is 100% sustainable by 2025
