German discounter Penny has added reusable cotton nets for fruits and vegetables to its nationwide assortment, in order to reduce the use of plastic in this sector.
The move follows a trial period, in which Penny enabled customers to check different alternatives to single-use plastic bags for fruit and vegetables, with a large majority preferring this variant.
Sustainable Measures
The company had previously implemented various measures for plastic reduction, by reducing the use of single-use bags in the fruit and vegetable sector by 20%.
Now Penny wants to reduce the use of said bags yet further, because more than three billion of them are used every year, according to the Packaging Market Research Association.
Customer Participation
"I am pleased that so many customers participated in the test, ensuring a clear winner," said Stefan Magel, the COO of Penny. "The cotton for our reusable nets comes from certified and sustainable cultivation. The nets are robust and can be used again and again."
From mid August, Penny is going to offer a double pack of reusable nets for €0.99. The use of these cotton reusable nets is commended by the 'Naturschutzbund Deutschland' (NABU). and Penny is the first German discounter to unveil this initiative.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Jana Zimmermann. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
