Plastic packaging increases pollution & food waste, research finds

Food retailers and suppliers should ditch plastic packaging and start selling fresh fruit and vegetables loose, a new study has recommended, arguing that it does not make them last longer and contributes to food waste and pollution.

Conducted by UK-based sustainability charity Wrap over a period of 18 months, the study looked at sales of apples, potatoes, broccoli, bananas and cucumbers and its findings appear to debunk the idea that plastic wrappers help prevent food waste.

Instead, the research found that packaging often forces people to buy more than they need, increasing the problem of wasted food, as well as adding to plastic waste.

Marcus Gover, Wrap's CEO, said that while packaging was important and does play a critical role in protecting food, the research had found that plastic wrapping "doesn’t necessarily prolong the life of uncut fresh produce".

"It can in fact increase food waste in this case," he added.

Every year, almost half a million tonnes of fresh vegetables and salad, as well as a quarter of a million tonnes of fresh fruit, is thrown away in the UK alone, amounting to around £2.1 billion. With around a third of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions come from food and drink, it is also bad for the environment.

While many supermarkets sell many of the items examined in the Wrap study loose already, the charity says the research presents compelling evidence to sell more fresh fruit and vegetables in this way.

With both energy and food prices rising, there is also a strong economic argument for making the changes. 

"This helps save the planet and us money at the same time," said Gover.

Wrap said while it accepts that it would take time for things to change, it will begin consulting the UK government, the Food Standards Agency, and the wider food industry to make loose produce a reality in British supermarkets by 2025.

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