Revealed: The plastic fruit and veg packaging that CAN’T be recycled
SUPERMARKETS are fuelling the tide of plastic pollution by selling fruit and veg in bags and trays that cannot be recycled.
A snapshot survey of eight leading chains reveals much of the fresh produce – which would have often been sold loose in traditional greengrocers – comes in unrecyclable plastic bags, trays and wrappers.
Sometimes the packs found in the stores – Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Lidl – are much bigger than the contents would justify.
For example, pak choi from Sainsbury’s came in an unrecyclable plastic bag twice the size of the contents.
All the stores insist they are making strides to reduce packaging. But most say they will not hit a target to ensure all packaging can be recycled until 2025.
Some say the reason is because some local councils refuse to accept certain bags and trays – and they should have a standard national approach to plastic recycling.
Many products carry the admission on the packs: ‘Not currently recycled’, while others say ‘widely recycled’.
However, they advise consumers to check with their council, which is confusing and impractical.
The Local Government Association, which speaks for councils, said it is stores that need to switch to packaging that is easy to recycle.
Oceans campaigner at Greenpeace, Tisha Brown, said: ‘A better alternative is not so hard to find.
‘Most supermarkets already sell fruit and veg in loose form and there are also compostable materials for the more delicate items.
‘It’s time for big retailers to start taking responsibility for the huge amount of unnecessary plastic they sell along with their products.’