UK: Waitrose to launch trays made from tomato leaves and recycled cardboard

06 Jun 2018 --- UK supermarket chain, Waitrose, is launching sustainable trays made from tomato leaves and recycled cardboard to package their Duchy Tomatoes products. The first-to-market innovation will be rolled out in mid-June following a successful trial conducted in 2017. The trays will help Waitrose meet its targets in minimizing plastic dependency.

The punnets - which combine dried vines with recycled cardboard - will be used for the supermarket’s Duchy Organic tomatoes. The environmentally-friendly packaging puts the by-product of tomatoes to good use as the vine and leaves would otherwise be wasted.

The packaging is created in a complex process using the latest technology, that joins together dried tomato leaf and recycled cardboard pulp. The cutting-edge packaging is widely recyclable and replaces the original plastic punnets the tomatoes were in.

Nicola Waller, Head of Fresh Produce at Waitrose, says: ‘‘We are serious about looking for alternative packaging materials. This uses materials which would otherwise be wasted which can only be a good thing.”

‘‘We will ensure that all our own-label packaging is widely recyclable (using the widely recycled logo), reusable or home compostable by 2025 - and looking for alternative forms of packaging is part of this process.”

Another recent Waitrose packaging innovation include the boxes for Waitrose Red Lentil Pasta and Waitrose Green Pea Pasta which are partly made from pulses. This reduces the use of virgin tree pulp by 15 percent and lowers greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent.

The supermarket is also using alternative materials for its Waitrose Duchy Organic eggs made from a mixture of ryegrass and recycled paper. This saves 77 tons of wood and paper each year and uses 60 percent less water to produce than conventional egg packaging.

In further Waitrose news, the company has signed up to Global Ghost Gear initiative. The initiative aims to protect marine life and minimize plastic pollution. By supporting the initiative, Waitrose is pledging to work with stakeholders across the fishing industry to find solutions to lost and discarded fishing equipment. The non-government organization, World Animal Protection, founded the scheme.