Thursday 28 February 2019

Iceland trials plastic-free fruit and veg packaging

Iceland has removed plastic packaging from fruit and vegetables in one of its stores to test whether consumers are willing to buy loose produce in a bid to reduce waste.

The supermarket is holding the trial at one of its shops in Liverpool over a 12-week period - it will sell 35 product lines completely loose and a further 27 with alternative packaging such as recyclable paper.

It says the unpackaged fruit and vegetables will be cheaper than pre-packaged options and has reassured shoppers staff will be on hand to help them weigh and pay for their items.

The brand will also conduct a survey to measure the impact of the trial and gauge consumer opinions, before potentially rolling the scheme out to other stores.

Iceland’s Managing Director Richard Walker said: "Over 12 million tonnes of plastic enters the world’s oceans every year and the retail industry can no longer ignore the plastics tidal wave which is coming our way.

"We all have a part to play in tackling the issue and Iceland is constantly looking for ways to reduce its own plastic footprint, as we work towards our commitment. We are looking forward to seeing how our customers respond to the trial and taking forward learnings to inform the rest of our journey."