Iceland supermarket launches ambitious trial to reduce fresh produce plastic packaging by 93 percent

03 Feb 2020 --- UK supermarket Iceland has launched a landmark trial to reduce plastic packaging on fresh produce by 93 percent. UK-first packaging solutions will be used to reduce plastic use, including apples, mixed peppers, potatoes and carrots in plastic-free packaging. Touted as the largest ever of its kind in the UK, the trial has been introduced in 33 stores and will cover 38 produce lines. An estimated seven metric tons of plastic will be removed as a result of the trial alone and up to 440 metric tons could be removed if it proves successful and is ultimately rolled out, Iceland indicates.

The trial launched on 22 January in 33 of Iceland’s stores across London and the South East region offers customers the opportunity to buy 38 fresh fruit and vegetable lines in innovative new packaging solutions that are either plastic-free or have a significantly reduced plastic content.

The trial is the latest in a series of initiatives launched by the retailer, which was the first globally to commit to removing plastic from all own label products by the end of 2023.

The trial will see 29 plastic-free or reduced plastic solutions used for the first time in the UK, including apples, mixed peppers, potatoes and carrots in plastic-free packaging. The solutions have been developed and tested in partnership with Iceland’s produce and packaging suppliers and the trial represents the culmination of months of development.Iceland will use UK-first packaging solutions to reduce plastic use, including apples, mixed peppers, potatoes and carrots in plastic-free packaging.

Phase one of the trial will see 27 products launched in redeveloped packaging, with a further eleven products being added in Phase Two which will launch on 4 March.

“We understand that consumers are particularly aware of the amount of plastic being used to package produce across the industry and we’ve been working hard to develop user-friendly, sustainable alternatives,” says Richard Walker, Managing Director at Iceland

“This trial is the largest ever of its kind and we’re excited to see how customers respond to the range of solutions provided. The trial is truly scalable and our findings will help to further define our strategy for eliminating plastic across our produce offering.”

“Most importantly, customers will not have to pay a premium for the plastic-free or reduced plastic products as prices will remain exactly the same, and we’re proud to be democratizing choice in this way,” Walker adds.

Phase 2 of the trial will see the rollout of new fixtures for bananas, a third iteration of the first trial for plastic-free bananas, which initially proved to be unsuccessful. The trial of paper band packaging for bananas was stopped in early 2019 when the banded product was shown to increase food waste in stores. New fixtures were then successfully trialed, an example of how Iceland takes a trial and error approach, innovating to fulfill its leadership level commitment.

“When we made our industry-leading commitment to remove plastic from our own label products, we knew we would encounter obstacles along the way, including unsuccessful launches. We continue to be transparent with our customers about our successes and learnings, and bring them along on the journey as we use their feedback to improve and innovate,” Walker explains.

In November, government-backed sustainability organization WRAP issued new guidance encouraging retailers to sell more fresh produce loose and without Best Before dates. These changes could help reduce the UK’s annual food waste bill, including binned fruit and vegetables worth nearly £4 billion (US$5.1 billion), the organization says.

Despite public commitments to reduce the use of virgin plastic, the plastic packaging sold by major UK supermarkets has risen to more than 900,000 metric tons annually, an Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) report has found.

For example, In 2019, 10 supermarkets representing 94.4 percent of the grocery retail market reported selling 1.5 billion “bags for life,” up by about 25 percent on last year based on market share. Iceland saw sales of bags for life rise tenfold, from 3.5 million to 34 million.

Edited by Joshua Poole