Fruit and veg packaging: why buy loose?

It’s fair to say that most of us have concerns about plastic – WRAP research shows that two thirds of us consider plastic waste an important issue . But acting on this concern can be challenging when it comes to fruit and veg shopping. Head to the relevant aisle of your local supermarket and you’ll probably notice plastic bags of apples here and plastic bags of potatoes there. This type of plastic is less likely to be recycled, as it’s not widely accepted in your kerbside recycling. 

Not only does this pose a problem with pesky plastic, but it also means we can end up buying more fruit and veg than we actually need. That one kilogram bag of carrots may be on offer, but do we need that many, or will some of them end up going soft in our veg drawer and ultimately be consigned to the bin? Check out our sister site, Love Food Hate Waste, for top tips on keeping your carrots crunchy and saving money on your food shop.. 

 While packaging is necessary to protect certain foods, like soft fruits and berries, a lot of the time it’s really not needed. WRAP research has shown that storing food in the right place at home is far more effective at making your fresh produce last longer than the packaging it’s sold in. By buying loose where you can, you’re helping to solve the problem of unnecessary packaging whilst also making it easier to buy the amount you need, thereby saving good food from the bin!  

 WRAP estimates we could save 60,000 tonnes of household food waste each year just by buying apples, potatoes and bananas loose – so imagine how much more we could save by doing the same for all our other fruit and veg as well. Here are our top tips for buying loose. 

Before you head to the shop, have a think about how much fruit and veg your household will realistically eat.  

Making a meal plan is a great way to figure out what ingredients you’ll need for the meals you plan to cook this week, taking into account what you already have in the fridge, freezer and cupboards already and how many of each type of fruit and veg you’ll need to buy. Not sure how much to buy? Check out Love Food Hate Waste’s handy portion calculator which will tell you just how much for need for each meal. 

To make the most of your shop, plan your meals so that you cook fresh veg early in the week, and schedule meals that you can make with frozen veg towards the end. Write down what you need on a shopping list that you can stick to, and you’re good to go! 

Many supermarkets and smaller shops and greengrocers offer a range of fruit and vegetables for sale loose. Soft fruits are generally pre-packaged to protect them during transport, but for most fruit and veg plastic packaging doesn’t necessarily prolong its life.  

 So, instead of picking up that pre-packaged job lot of spuds, head to the box of loose ones and select the number you need. They may be a little on the muddy side, but they’ll taste just as good after a quick wash! The same goes for bananas, apples, oranges, peppers, carrots, cauliflower… you name it.  

 Keep a look out for scales to weigh them on, as some supermarkets have scales that print labels for you to scan at the checkout. At others, loose fruit and veg can be weighed at the till. 

No packaging? No problem! To bring your loose fruit and veg home safe and sound, why not invest in reusable drawstring net bags or take along your own paper bags? Some supermarkets are already selling reusable fruit and veg bags, so look out for those. You could also reuse freezer bags or bread bags you already have at home. 

Having brought your fruit and veg home, the final step (before enjoying it!) is to store it in the right place. 

 To help it stay fresher for longer, store all your fresh fruit and veg in the fridge, with the exception of bananas, onions and whole (uncut) pineapples, which are best stored in a cool cupboard out of sunlight. Apples can last a whopping 74 days longer in the fridge than at room temperature!  

 Finally, use this handy fridge temperature tool to make sure your fridge is at the right temperature to ensure your fruit and veg lasts as long as possible. 

 For lots more advice on storing your food to keep it fresh, and loads of great recipes for using up your fruit and veg, visit our sister site, Love Food Hate Waste. As ever, you can find out what packaging you can recycle at home or at local facilities using our Recycling Locator, and for the packaging you can’t avoid, remember that you should be able to take it back to the front of your local supermarket to be recycled. to the front of your local supermarket to be recycled.