Tesco in laser-etched avocado trial to reduce plastic waste

Tesco and leading avocado supplier Westfalia Fruit are cutting down on plastic waste by introducing laser etchings and scrapping plastic stickers on extra-large avocados.

The UK’s largest grocer said high-powered lasers remove a small section of the top layer of avocado skin, where it etches information on the size and variety of the fruit in a third of a second.

The laser etching trial is a joint initiative with the UK’s biggest avocado supplier, Westfalia Fruit and could remove the need for nearly a million plastic stickers.

Westfalia is behind the etching technology and says it has conducted extensive trials to ensure the quality, shelf life and taste of the fruit is not affected.

At the same time, Tesco is also launching a trial to replace the plastic tray packaging for two of its most popular avocado lines. Instead, the retailer is switching to a cardboard container that is easier to recycle.

If rolled out across all Tesco stores, the moves could save more than 20 million pieces of plastic tray packaging from twin-pack avocados alone, and up to 25m pieces across the whole pre-packed range.

The trials will take place in around 270 Tesco stores in south-east England. If feedback from customers is positive, they will be rolled out across the Tesco estate.

At present, the retailer sells nearly 70m avocados a year and has seen demand for the fruit grow by 15 per cent in the last year.

Tesco avocado buyer Lisa Gilbey said: “We’re always looking for innovative ways to reduce the environmental impact of our products and cut down on plastic waste in the home through changes to our packaging.

“We’re really excited to hear customer feedback on our new laser-etched avocados, avoiding the need for a barcode sticker that can easily be forgotten and left on when recycling through household food waste.”

Westfalia Fruit general manager Graham Isaac added: “We are confident that, with a clear focus and united effort as an industry, we will be able to significantly reduce our waste, use natural resources responsibly, and protect the environment and biodiversity for all our futures.