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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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”.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.”
ADVERTISEMENT
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
News
Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street
Daisy Jackson
An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.
Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.
Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.
Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.
He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.
“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.
“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”
If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials
Emily Sergeant
Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.
UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.
The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.
Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.
To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.
“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.
“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”
Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.