Why are supermarkets charging more for loose fruit and veg?

We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.⁠

On top of rising petrol prices and energy hikes, grocery price inflation reached a record 11.6% in August and looks likely to continue rising.⁠ With this new peak, the average annual shop is set to increase by £533, which will greatly affect many households.

With prices increasing, it is frustrating that we still have to pay more for certain items that are not packaged in plastic. Supermarkets should be encouraging consumers to reduce the use of plastic, not offering incentives to buy products pre-packaged. This simply dissuades customers from choosing the plastic-free option on the basis of finances, which many families are having to watch very carefully.

Former Friends of the Earth campaigner and Everyday Plastic board member, Julian Kirby says: “Making loose fruit and veg more expensive than plastic-wrapped multipacks penalises people who want to do the right thing and avoid plastic. Rather than helping customers say no to pointless plastic, it appears supermarkets are actively encouraging them to buy more.”

It has long been an accepted belief that plastic packaging protects and preserves fresh produce, so less is thrown away before making it to customers’ baskets. However, recent research from WRAP, shows that plastic packaging does not necessarily prolong the life of uncut fresh produce. Not only do many fruits and veg have their very own natural protective wrappers, refrigeration is more effective at prolonging the life of many fruits and vegetables than extra layers of plastic. Being forced to buy pre-packaged produce also increases food waste, as we often have no choice but to buy more than we need.

For supermarkets, the cost of packaging in plastic is significantly lower than in alternatives, due to the vast scale of manufacturing huge volumes of the material. Cardboard, glass and metal are often considered heavier and bulkier, presenting challenges for transportation and storage. However, this does not respond to the challenge of why many of the items we see on supermarket shelves are not sold without any packaging at all.

Supermarkets have a responsibility to remove unnecessary packaging and reduce waste going to landfill. They need to be more transparent about their efforts to reduce waste and give their customers the ability to make greener decisions, without being penalised financially

We want to see loose fruit and vegetables priced lower than their packaged equivalent, so call on the big 4 supermarkets (who hold almost ¾ of the market share) to make changes to the way they sell their fruit and veg. Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons: stop selling packaged fresh produce cheaper than loose.