Industry urges balanced approach after Wrap’s packaging ban plea

The fresh produce industry and UK supermarkets are urging for balanced approach to assessing plastic packaging use on fruit and veg following anti-waste charity Wrap’s call to ban plastic packaging from fresh produce sold in supermarkets by 2030.

The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), the UK trade association for the fresh fruit, vegetable, cut flowers and plants industry, is requesting clarification following anti-waste charity Wrap’s this week's demand. The charity is proposing a government ban on primary packaging for initially 21 whole, uncut fresh produce items sold in amounts less than 1.5kg.

Nigel Jenney, FPC CEO, stated that he would like to know how either Wrap or the government plan to offer “effective and agreed solutions” to support industry to achieve this mandatory ambition.

Responding to Wrap’s recommendations, Jenney said, “As a sector we are working tirelessly to offer affordably priced great quality fresh produce by adopting highly efficient supply chain solutions. As a sector our ambition is to achieve challenging sustainability targets. However simply removing appropriate packaging without a solution will negatively impact our sustainability ambitions.”

He continued, “We understand the spirit of the challenge, but appropriate packaging is used for several important reasons. Long term ambition is important, but let’s not ignore practical reality and consumer preference.”

Representing UK supermarkets, Andrew Opie, director of food & sustainability at the BRC, stated that the retailers have been working with Wrap to reduce packaging on a variety of products.

”They will continue to remove plastic packaging where possible in line with consumer demand. However, they must also balance this with the role packaging can play in cutting food waste.”

It comes after WRAP research's findings that if all apples, bananas and potatoes were sold loose, 60,000 tonnes of food waste could be saved, plastic packaging would be reduced by 8,800 tonnes per year, which together represent a saving of more than 80,000 tonnes of CO2.

WRAP is calling for a phased ban, with first phase in force by 2030, to align with the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) timeframes.