Retailers are being urged to stop selling certain types of uncut fruit and vegetables in plastic packaging after research found that selling produce loose has huge potential to reduce food waste in the home.
WRAP has also called on retailers to remove date labels from uncut fresh produce unless it can be shown that a ‘best before’ date reduces overall food waste, and to communicate the benefits of storing some fresh produce in the fridge. Loose apples, for example, were found to last almost 70 days longer in the fridge compared to ambient conditions.
WRAP’s 18-month research project, which included input from businesses, examined the link between food waste in the home and the use of plastic packaging. It said the results challenge accepted thinking that packaging helps to preserve fresh produce. In fact, the research found that selling uncut fresh produce loose and removing best before dates across the five key product lines studied – apples, bananas, broccoli, cucumber and potatoes – could prevent 100,000 tonnes of household food waste and around 10,300 tonnes of plastic, saving a combined 130,000 tonnes of CO2e.
If a wider range of products that are currently sometimes sold loose were only sold loose, it would save more than 21,500 tonnes of plastic.
For apples, potatoes and bananas, enabling people to buy the right amount was found to be the most impactful way in which selling loose will help to reduce food waste.
Removing date labels from apples, potatoes, bananas, cucumbers and broccoli alone could save 50,000 tonnes of food wasted in the home every year, according to Wrap.
It also called on retailers to help people understand the benefits of storing appropriate fresh produce in the fridge, set at the right temperature. Storing cucumber and broccoli at optimal fridge temperature (4°C) gave significantly more life compared to a sub-optimal fridge temperature (9°C).
“This important research could be a game-changer in the fight against food waste and plastic pollution,” said WRAP CEO Marcus Gover. “We have demystified the relationship between wasted food, plastic packaging, date labels and food storage. While packaging is important and often carries out a critical role to protect food, we have proven that plastic packaging doesn’t necessarily prolong the life of uncut fresh produce. It can in fact increase food waste in this case.”
WRAP has challenged retailers to remove plastic packaging for uncut fresh fruit and vegetables unless it has been demonstrated to reduce food waste as part of newly published guidance for UK Plastics Pact members.
The guidance also includes an updated list of key plastic items to remove as far as possible by the end of 2022. The additional items are plastic wrapping for multi-sales of tins, bottles, and cartons; PVC cling film; non compostable fruit and veg stickers; non compostable tea and coffee bags; single use/single serving plastic sachets/jiggers in restaurant settings.
