The fresh produce industry and UK supermarkets call for balanced approach to assessing plastic packaging use on fruit and veg
The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), the UK trade association for the fresh fruit, vegetable, cut flowers and plants industry, is requesting clarification following anti-waste charity Wrap’s call to ban plastic packaging from fresh produce sold in supermarkets by 2030.
Nigel Jenney, FPC CEO, told FPJ today (18 October) that he would like to know how either Wrap or the government plan to offer “effective and agreed solutions” to support industry to achieve this mandatory ambition.
Wrap is proposing a government ban on primary packaging for initially 21 whole, uncut fresh produce items sold in amounts less than 1.5kg.
The group this week announced that a government ban would be the most effective approach to reduce high volumes of plastic packaging and food waste.
Yet there are those in the industry who argue that plastic packaging significantly extends the shelf life of various fresh produce, thereby reducing food waste.
They add that a packaging ban could also limit the total volume of produce that shoppers buy and limit opportunities for point-of-sale branding and marketing.
Responding to Wrap’s recommendations, Jenney said: “As a sector we are working tirelessly to offer affordably priced great quality fresh produce by adopting highly efficient supply chain solutions. As a sector our ambition is to achieve challenging sustainability targets. However simply removing appropriate packaging without a solution will negatively impact our sustainability ambitions.”
He continued: “We understand the spirit of the challenge, but appropriate packaging is used for several important reasons. Long term ambition is important, but let’s not ignore practical reality and consumer preference.”
Representing UK supermarkets, Andrew Opie, director of food & sustainability at the BRC, told the FPJ: “Retailers have been working with Wrap to reduce packaging on a variety of products, and we can all see the increase in loose fruit and veg in our local supermarkets.
”They will continue to remove plastic packaging where possible in line with consumer demand. However, they must also balance this with the role packaging can play in cutting food waste.”
