Morrisons is taking the plastic off most of its cucumbers during the British growing season as part of its ongoing plastic reduction programme.
The move will apply to all whole standard-size cucumbers and the move follows listening to customers, who say reducing plastic should be one of Morrisons’ top priorities.
Cucumbers have typically been sold in plastic to improve its life in the fridge and in the supply chain. The plastic layer serves as an extra skin to prevent the cucumber’s dehydration which is important because they are typically more than 90% water.
However, during the British growing season where cucumbers are very quickly transported from farm to store, Morrisons believes there will be enough shelf life for customers, who are looking for plastic to be removed where possible.
The move does not apply to half cucumbers which would see a dramatic reduction in shelf life if plastic packaging was taken off.
Richard Hatherly, Senior Buying Manager for Salads at Morrisons said: "We've listened to customers concerns and we are doing what we can to remove plastic packaging. While plastic can serve a purpose we believe this move will remove it from the environment without leading to food waste."
Morrisons has recently announced a number of measures to reduce plastic use which include:
- Enabling customers to bring their own containers to Morrisons Butchers and Fishmongers counters.
- Moving all loose fruit & veg to be sold in paper rather than plastic bags.
The British growing season is typically from March to October.
Published 07/08/2018
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For further information contact: Morrisons Press Office – 0845 611 5111