Supermarkets fuel waste by forcing us to buy pre-packed fruit and vegetables in bulk

SUPERMARKETS are accused of fuelling waste by introducing more fresh fruit and vegetables in bulk‑buy packages.

Fewer products are now available to buy loose, meaning shoppers end up buying more than they need and more ends up in the bin.

It has long been the case that the small convenience stores run by the supermarket giants only sell fruit and veg in packs, however this policy is now creeping into the main shops.

Asda has been singled out by waste cam‑paigners after launching a trial of selling certain vegetables only in packets but a survey by the Daily Mail found it is not alone among major supermarkets in refus‑ing to sell types of fresh produce loose.

Asda now sells carrots, courgettes, onions, avocados, some types of potatoes, leeks, nectarines, lemons and limes only in plastic packages. It insists there is good evidence that shoppers prefer to buy in packs, despite a recent study by the WI which found that 84 per cent of people preferred buying fruit and veg loose. Asda shoppers on Twitter have described the policy as ‘mad‑ness’ and a ‘rip‑off’, while ‘vegetable vigilan‑tes’ went as far as ripping open bags at its store in Bedminster, Bristol.

The large outlets of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose have plenty of room to sell loose produce. However, often items such as satsumas, lemons, limes and cer‑tain apples and potatoes are only available in packs.

Martin Bowman, from food waste organi‑sation Feedback, said the move to only sell produce in packs is a ‘huge step in the wrong direction’. He said: ‘When consumers are forced to buy fresh produce in large quantities, waste is more likely to happen.’

Joanna Blythman, author of Shopped: The Shocking Power of British Supermar‑kets, said: ‘It’s getting rarer and rarer to find things that aren’t packaged, particu‑larly in Asda.

‘No one asked for this packaging. Who wants to buy four apples on a polythene tray? You end up spending more money than you intended to, and producing more waste.’

She challenged the idea that supermar‑kets are automatically the cheapest option. ‘Now is the cherry season. Go into a supermarket and you’ll be forced to buy a huge bag at high prices,’ she said.

‘At a street market or green‑grocer, you can buy the quantity you want to buy, at a lower price. And you’ll generate a lot less pack‑aging.’ Household food waste has increased from seven million tons in 2012 to 7.3million tons in 2015, an increase of 4.4 per cent. That represents 500 meals for every household each year.

The supermarkets say selling produce in packs rather than loose cuts waste. Shoppers sorting through piles of fruit or veg for the best looking fruit means many of those left behind get spoiled and are thrown out by the store.

The British Retail Consortium, which speaks for the stores, said they have made great strides in cutting food waste and packaging. ‘We have long said that appropri‑ate use of packaging preserves food and reduces waste,’ it said.

Asda has responded to criticism by bringing back the sale of loose carrots in some outlets. It is thought other produce will follow. ‘After analysing customer buying habits we decided to trial remov‑ing some loose produce items from our stores where our research showed customers preferred buy‑ing in packs,’ said a spokesman.

‘Our plan was to listen to cus‑tomer feedback on this trial before making any permanent changes.’

‘You buy more and waste more’