Supermarket retailers in the UK are being urged to stop selling all fruit and vegetables in plastic packaging.
A new report released by waste reduction charity WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) after an 18-month study has recommended that supermarkets and grocery retailers remove best before dates and plastic packaging from all fresh fruit and vegetables to prevent 14 million shopping baskets worth of food from going to waste.
The charity did the study into five frequently-wasted food items – apples, bananas, broccoli, cucumber, and potatoes.
The items were stored in the original packaging and at different temperatures.
The charity found that selling the five items loose and removing best before dates could result in a combined yearly saving of around 100,000 tonnes of household food waste, which is more than 10,300 tonnes of plastic and 130,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
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Supermarket retailers are being urged to stop selling all fruit and vegetables in plastic packaging / Credit: Unsplash ( Yuval Yehudar | Thomas Le)
WRAP said its findings debunk the idea that single-use plastic wrappers help prevent waste, admitting that they make “little to no difference to shelf life”, and said it has shared its recommendations with the UK’s largest food retailers.
Implementing them, however, it said was “likely to take time”.
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Speaking on the findings from the study, Marcus Gover – CEO at WRAP – explained: “This important research could be a game-changer in the fight against food waste and plastic pollution [as] we have demystified the relationship between wasted food, plastic packaging, date labels and food storage.
“We are all living with the reality of the climate emergency and the rising cost of living [so] this new clarity could not be more timely.
“We need retailers to step up and follow our recommendations so we can achieve real progress in tackling food waste and plastic pollution as this helps save the planet and us money at the same time – a real win-win.”
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WRAP said its findings debunk the idea that single-use plastic wrappers help prevent waste / Credit: Unsplash (Alexander Schimmeck)
WRAP conceded it would take time for things to change and it will now consult the Food Standards Agency, Defra, and the food industry to make loose produce in supermarkets a reality by 2025.
Food Standards Agency chairwoman, Susan Jebb, added that businesses should ensure the right date label is applied to their products to help consumers make informed choices and reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses, explaining: “A ‘best before’ date is about quality which means the food will be safe to eat after this date, even if it may not be at its best.
“Business should display ‘use by’ dates for food like meat products and ready to eat salads which could be unsafe if left for too long.
“Date labels are important – not only for cutting down on food waste, but for keeping us safe too.”
Featured Image – Unsplash
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Greater Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Dozens of local restaurants will be adding an extra £1 onto every bill over the festive season to help fight street homelessness.
People in Greater Manchester are once again able to give back while they dine at some of the best restaurants the region has to offer in the run up to Christmas, as the successful StreetSmart fundraising initiative is back for another year.
This year, 26 fantastic restaurants have come together to support local homeless charities as the campaign launched this past Saturday (1 November).
Manchester independents such as Mana, Erst, Climat, 10 Tib Lane, Ezra & Gill, Tartuffe, and Blue Eyed Panda are among those taking part in the campaign this year, alongside several city centre chain restaurants such as Lina Stores, Tampopo, Banyan, Manahatta, and San Carlo.
StreetSmart works by each participating restaurant adding an extra £1 to every bill they deliver throughout November and December, with all of the money raised going directly to local homeless organisations, thanks to StreetSmart’s official sponsorship from LandAid.
The funds raised by StreetSmart in Greater Manchester this year will support the crucial work of organisations such as CentrePoint, which funds Independent Living Advisors for young people, and Real Change Manchester, which plugs into the existing homelessness charities to provide that extra boost of funding that makes all the difference.
The StreetSmart team says it’s determined to deliver another record-breaking year in 2025, and provide much-needed support to the services that help some of the most vulnerable people in the city.
Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas / Credit: Supplied | Rifqi Ali Ridho (via Unsplash)
“The festive period can be an incredibly tough time for the vulnerable people in our community,” explained Glenn Pougnet, who is the Director of StreetSmart.
“StreetSmart provides a simple way for people to help some of our city’s most in need. Giving back whilst dining out at Christmas is what StreetSmart is all about, and we’re thrilled to have so many restaurants already taking part.
“Every £1 added to a bill adds up and makes a huge difference.”
Featured Image – John Carey (Supplied)
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Police appeal for information after pedestrian killed on Mancunian Way followed earlier welfare concern reports
Emily Sergeant
Police are continuing to appeal for information after a pedestrian was killed on Mancunian Way during the early hours.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that the shocking incident occurred at approximately 12:50am on Friday 31 October when it was reported that a Volkswagen Passat had collided with a man in his 20s.
Sadly, the collision was fatal and the pedestrian died at the scene.
The driver of the Volkswagen, a man in his 40s, was subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Following the incident, subsequent police enquiries have established that a call was made to the force shortly after midnight which reported concern for a man walking on the carriageway, and GMP says it believes the man in that report was the man who was involved in the fatal collision.
Officers were sent out as ‘high priority’ to carry out an extensive search of the surrounding area after the report was made, but it was said that they couldn’t locate him.
#UPDATE | Officers are continuing to appeal for information following the fatal collision on Mancunian Way this morning.
We have referred ourselves to the IPOC after reports that the victim was possibly spotted on the carriageway earlier that morning.
— Manchester City Centre Police (GMP) (@GMPCityCentre) October 31, 2025
Due to this earlier report, GMP has confirmed that it has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to look into its response to the search.
The victim’s family is aware, have been updated, and they are being supported by specialist officers at this time.
GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit is still appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward, and are particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have CCTV footage, dashcam, or mobile phone footage from the area in the moments leading up to the incident.
“This is a tragic incident for all involved and we express our deepest condolences to the family of the man who has lost his life, and whom we are doing our utmost to support at this time,” commented Sergeant Andrew Page.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4741, quoting log number 111 of the 31/10/25, or by using the ‘report tool’ or LiveChat function on the GMP website – www.gmp.police.uk
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
24th February 2022 
