Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Waitrose & Partners has introduced a home compostable bag – for its Waitrose Duchy Organic bananas – the first of the retailer’s fresh produce to be sold in a home compostable bag.
The supermarket chain said the move to the bag, which is made with non-GM corn, will save an estimated 18 tonnes of plastic per year. The bag can be home composted, or reused first as a food caddy liner at home before being home composted.
Tor Harris, Head of CSR, Health & Agriculture for Waitrose & Partners, said: “We’re excited that Waitrose Duchy Organic bananas are the first of our fresh produce to be packaged in our ground-breaking home compostable bag.
“This shows the continued efforts we’re making to reduce unnecessary plastic packaging wherever we possibly can, and is part of our pledge to make all packaging either widely recyclable, reusable or home compostable by 2023.”
Waitrose removed plastic bags for its Duchy Organic bananas last year, replacing them with a plastic band while trials took place on the compostable bag. The bag not only protects and maintains the quality of the bananas but also removes the need for plastic banana box liners.
Like many retailers, Waitrose packages its organic bananas so shoppers can see clearly which bananas are organic and to prevent mix ups.
Waitrose is also trialling a home compostable fruit and vegetable bag for loose produce, which it plans to roll out to all branches this Spring.
