Backing banana skins: Morrisons eliminates unnecessary plastic bags in UK first
14 Dec 2021 --- Morrisons is set to become the first UK supermarket to remove plastic banana bags from its store shelves and as part of a 50% reduction of its own brand primary plastic packaging by 2025.
Since bananas are the second most frequently bought fresh product in its stores, Morrisons says it will reduce 45 million single-use plastic bags, equating to 180 metric tons of plastic.
The British supermarket chain will replace its banana plastic bags with new Forest Stewardship Council certified paper bands over the next six months. The bands will feature Country of Origin, Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade and Soil Association Certification information.
Elio Biondo, banana buyer from Morrisons tells PackagingInsights: “We listen closely to our customers and they have been telling us they would like plastic-free options.”
Data from Innova Market Insights shows 71% of UK consumers consider paper to be somewhat or very sustainable whereas only 35% believe single layer plastics to be sustainable.
“It has taken us a few months to develop a robust paper band which does not rip and which does not bruise or damage our banana bunches,” highlights Biondo.
“Bananas have their own packaging – their skins. They also grow in bunches which generally means they don’t need bagging together. So a simple sturdy paper band is the ideal alternative. In trials the quality of the bananas has remained the same, so this switch out of plastic is a no-brainer.”
Innova Market Insights also found a majority of UK consumers (58%) perceive paper packaging’s product protection to be average or below average.
Morrisons has committed to a 50% reduction of its own brand primary plastic packaging by 2025. Returning to traditional packaging
Following its self-set agenda of plastic reduction and returning to traditional grocery packaging methods, Morrisons also recently launched a glass milk bottle trial in which bottles of milk are delivered directly to its supermarkets by local dairy farms.
Furthermore, Morrisons says it is also the first supermarket to “reintroduce paper and string bags for fruit and veg, to provide sturdy paper carrier bags at checkouts and to refill customer containers at its market street counters, to avoid single-use plastic packaging.”
“We survey our customers annually on what is most important to them - and removing plastic from packaging has featured strongly,” explains Biondo.
Meanwhile, the supermarket chain has committed itself to a 50% reduction of its own brand primary plastic packaging by 2025.
“Initiatives introduced over the last 12 months will remove 8,000 metric tons of unnecessary or problematic plastic each year while 83% of Morrisons own-brand plastic packaging is now recyclable.”
Plastic reduction initiatives
Earlier this month, The UK Plastics Pact reported its members have cut single-use plastic packaging items by 46% and reduced the overall amount of supermarket packaging by 10% between 2018-2020.
In related news, waste disposal experts recently warned against placing plastic stickers on fruit as they contribute to large amounts of plastic waste.
By Natalie Schwertheim
