Supermarkets have come under fire for a “depressing” amount of plastic used on produce.
A Melbourne man shared a photo online of the packaged fruit in Preston Woolworths, writing alongside it: “Genuinely made me feel like they are actively trying to make Australia a living hell.”
It feels like positive steps are being negated by ongoing bad practices, the man told 7NEWS.com.au.
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“What’s the point of banning a plastic bag at checkout when literally every item you buy is covered by plastic?” he asked.
The loose produce was nowhere near as visible in-store, he said.
A Woolworths spokesperson defended the product packaging, saying “The majority of our fruit and veg is sold loose and we’re working to reduce unnecessary packaging across our range where we can.
“We’re growing greener, but we know there’s more to be done and we look forward to sharing our progress with customers in the years ahead.”
The pre-packed apples shown in the image are popular with families as they can be easily selected and transported, according to Woolworths.
Customers will always have the choice of loose or pre-packaged produce, they said.
Woolworths can still offer pre-packaged produce while reducing its environmental impact, according to CSIRO’s lead for ending plastic waste Dr Deborah Lau.
She conceded that the plastic may be used for moisture retention to support food preservation, and a container made entirely of cardboard may not provide the same function.
However, “compostable plastics could be considered as an alternative”.
The most important thing to consider is the waste generated and how it will be handled, Lau said.
“The plastic wrapping that’s pictured around the fruit containers is soft plastic,” she said.
“In Australia, the vast majority of soft plastic ends up in landfill.”
While soft plastic can be recycled, it needs to be collected through specific waste collection streams.
“There are a number of pilot schemes and trials currently underway with the aim to grow our ability to capture this waste stream and turn it into a resource,” Lau said.
Alternative materials are also not perfect, she said.
“Compostable plastics need to be captured separately and directed into either home or industrial composting facilities, depending on their type,” she said.
“Net bags for loose produce will typically end up in landfill as they are currently unable to be captured for recycling.”
However, while these alternatives are not perfect, they are still a step forward.
“Avoiding the use of problematic and unnecessary single use plastic is the most effective way to reduce (Woolworths’) environmental footprint,” Lau said.
