14 Dec 2021 --- Morrisons is set to become the first UK supermarket to remove plastic banana bags from its store shelves and as part of a 50% reduction of its own brand primary plastic packaging by 2025. Since bananas are the second most frequently bought fresh product in its stores, Morrisons says it will reduce 45 million single-use plastic bags, equating to 180 metric tons of plastic.The British supermarket chain will replace its banana plastic bags with new Forest Stewardship Council certified paper bands over the next six months. The bands will feature Country of Origin, Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade and Soil Association Certification information.Elio Biondo, banana buyer from Morrisons tells PackagingInsights: “We listen closely to our customers and they have been telling us they would like plastic-free options.”Data from Innova Market Insights shows 71% of UK consumers consider paper to be somewhat or very sustainable whereas only 35% believe single layer plastics to be sustainable.“It has taken us a few months to develop a robust paper band which does not rip and which does not bruise or damage our banana bunches,” highlights Biondo.“Bananas have their own packaging – their skins. They also grow in bunches which generally means they don’t need bagging together. So a simple sturdy paper band is the ideal alternative. In trials the quality of the bananas has remained the same, so this switch out of plastic is a no-brainer.”Innova Market Insights also found a majority of UK consumers (58%) perceive paper packaging’s product protection to be average or below average.
