Morrisons is set to roll out plastic-free fruit and veg areas across its stores. Sixty outlets will take part in the chain's new "buy bagless" scheme in which shoppers can buy 127 varieties of fruit and veg loose or pack them in recyclable paper bags. It follows 10-month trials in Skipton, Guiseley and St Ives, where stores saw a 40 percent increase in customers buying "bagless". Drew Kirk, fruit and veg director at Morrisons, said: "Many of our customers would like the option of buying their fruit and veg loose. "So we're creating an area of our greengrocery with no plastic where they can pick as much or as little as they like. "We're going back to using traditional greengrocery and we hope customers appreciate the choice." There will still be a nearby section where customers can package their fruit and veg in plastic bags if they want to. It is hoped the initiative will save three tonnes of plastic a week, or 156 tonnes a year, as shoppers eschew non-compostable packaging. It is one of a raft of changes pledged by the supermarket giant to remove 9,000 tonnes of problematic plastic waste each year. It has also removed 600 tonnes of unrecyclable polystyrene from branded food and drink products,and is launching a paper carrier bags programme this month.
UK supermarket Morrisons is to launch plastic-free fruit and vegetable aisles in its stores. The “buy bagless” scheme, which will enable customers to buy 127 varieties of fresh produce loose or in recyclable paper bags, will operate in 60 outlets. The option of packaging fruit and veg in plastic bags will also be available. An earlier 10-month trial saw a 40% increase in customers buying “bagless”. Morrisons hopes that the scheme will save 156 tonnes of plastic annually. The supermarket has already removed 600 tonnes of unrecyclable polystyrene from branded products, and has launched a paper carrier bag programme.