UK supermarket chain Waitrose has announced that it is introducing new environmentally friendly packaging to its stores this week.
The retailer is trialling a new form of non-plastic punnet, which is created by combining dried tomato leaves with recycled pulp, to help package tomato products.
Waitrose is rolling out the punnets for its private-label Waitrose Duchy Organic cherry tomatoes and baby plum tomatoes in selected branches.
The grocer says that if the trial is successful, the packaging will be extended to further branches in 2018, potentially saving 3.5 million plastic trays a year.
Reducing Plastic
"We are determined to reduce our use of plastic across our business," said Nicola Waller, head of fresh produce at Waitrose.
"This builds on our commitment to ensure that all our own-label packaging is widely recyclable, reusable or home compostable by 2025."
Waller added that since 2009, the retailer has reduced its packaging across all products by nearly 50%.
Other recent packaging innovations include the boxes for Waitrose red-lentil pasta and green-pea pasta, which are made partly from pulses, and the boxes for Waitrose Duchy Organic eggs, which are made from a mixture of rye grass and recycled paper.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
