Tesco trials plastic-free fruit and vegetable packaging

UK retail giant Tesco has announced a month-long trial of eliminating plastic-wrapped fruits and vegetables in an attempt to cut out waste. The scheme will start in two of the chain’s Tesco Extra stores (in Watford and Swindon). Instead of packaged items, customers will find loose versions of 45 different products, including apples, onions, mushrooms and peppers. Director of quality, Sarah Bradbury, said,

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

Last year, Tesco announced that it would ban hard-to-recycle plastic packaging by 2019 and make all packaging recyclable by 2025. Large supermarkets currently produce over 800,000 tons of plastic packaging waste each year, leading consumers to increasingly demand sustainability.