Waitrose claims supermarket first in swapping plastic grape punnets for cardboard

Waitrose has claimed a UK supermarket first by introducing recyclable cardboard grape punnets to replace plastic versions.

The upmarket grocer has swapped the packaging of its Duchy Organic and Waitrose 1 Sable grapes in a bid to save 12 tonnes of plastic a year, and expects to make the same change for more of its grape lines later in 2019.

Waitrose said the initiative demonstrates the potential to move away from plastics while preserving the quality and freshness of the fruit.

The move comes as part of its effort to become a more environmentally-friendly retailer, and its commitment to making all its own-label packaging widely recyclable, reusable or home compostable by 2023.

“This packaging first for our Waitrose Duchy Organic and Waitrose 1 Sable grapes highlights our continued efforts to reduce unnecessary plastic packaging wherever we possibly can,” said Waitrose head of CSR, health and agriculture Tor Harris. “The amount of plastic we will remove by switching from plastic punnets to cardboard is significant and we hope to increase this figure further by moving more of our grapes into cardboard punnets later in the year.”