WHY SMOTHER FRUIT & VEGGIE IN PLASTIC?

Fruit and vegetables come in their own compostable wrapping designed by nature. Corn and bananas for example, come with their own protective covering that is easy to remove and creates no plastic waste.

Packaging merely simplifies the handling process of these products for the supermarkets and to facilitate fixing of use-by dates.

An 18-month study by the UK food waste charity Wrap found that wrapping fresh produce in plastic does not increase its shelf life and the packaging often forces shoppers to buy more than is needed, thus leading to more wasted food.

By the researchers’ calculations, every year in the UK more than 10,300 tons of plastic are wasted, along with about 100,000 tons of food, due to plastic packaging. That is equal to 14 million shopping baskets worth of food.

Removing the packaging would stop the circulation of 1,100 garbage trucks worth of plastic.

Let’s beat plastic pollution. Buy loose, seasonal fruit and veggies, not those packed in cling-wrapped plastic trays. Buy from wet and farmers’ markets and support local produce.

(Image credit: @ErikSolheim)