Retailer celebrates early start to season with launch of plastic-reducing paper packs
M&S Food has kicked off its Jersey Royal season with new plastic-reducing paper packaging that is described as a first.
The much-anticipated new potato has begun appearing on shelves in 75 M&S Foodhalls across the UK this week, signalling the start of the season. The retailer expects to sell one million packs this season, up 15 per cent on last year, in recognition of the product’s growing popularity.
The early-season crops are grown in glasshouses on the island, allowing them to be harvested earlier. M&S said the earliest crops typically go to fine-dining restaurants, but it has managed to secure product for its customers.
This year’s crop is being packaged in 100 per cent recyclable paper, which M&S estimated will remove one million pieces of plastic from this product alone during the first year.
The transition into plastic-free packaging has taken many seasons to develop, acording to the retailer, and is a market first for M&S.
Harry Wilder, senior agronomist at M&S, said” “There’s always a lot of excitement in the team when we start harvesting the first of the Jersey Royals. It signals that spring, and the best of our British produce season, is just about to kick off!.
“The care and dedication we take to ensure customers get the best of the crop is second to none, and our unique chilling process and our dedicated on-site team ensure only the best picks make it to our customers’ baskets. Not only that, but the new paper packaging ensures we’re leading the way in terms of delivering sustainable packaging solutions too.”
