Waitrose is a step closer to booting black plastic from its aisles having removed it from core grocery lines including fresh produce, meat and fish.
The retailer will save over 1,300 tonnes of black plastic per year by using alternative packaging options, such as its recently deployed Duchy organic tomato packaging, which uses punnets made from tomato vines.
The majority of black plastic packaging is coloured using carbon black pigments which prevent the pack being easily sorted by recycling systems, meaning it often ends up in landfill.
Waitrose says progress in eliminating black plastic means it is over half way to achieving its goal of removing black pastic on all its own brand products by the end of 2019.
Tor Harris, head of CSR, health & agriculture for Waitrose & Partners, said: “Eliminating black plastic is a priority for us. While removing it we have also taken the opportunity to reduce the amount of plastic of any colour by removing trays from fruit and veg like apples, broccoli and pak choi.
“We are making progress all the time and are determined to maintain our momentum which is why we’re now looking at ready meals and other products so we can achieve our aim of removing all black plastic from our own-label products by the end of 2019.”
In tandem with Wrap’s UK Plastics Pact, which Waitrose joined last year, the supermarket is also replacing loose fruit and veg bags with home compostable alternatives by spring 2019.
The company said it will also work further with its customers in 2019 to determine which plastic packaging can be removed without decreasing quality and reducing shelf life.
