Tesco stores across Southwark will soon be cutting out many types of single use plastic packaging from its own-brand products.
The supermarket giant has pledged to remove one billion pieces of plastic from its UK shops by the end of next year.
In the coming months, shoppers can expect small plastic bags for bakery items and loose fruit and vegetables replaced with paper ones, and see some top lids on yoghurts and dairy products cut.
Plastic trays from ready meals and sporks and straws in drinks cartons and snack pots will also be phased out.
Tesco no longer offers carrier bags with its online deliveries, and says this has stopped 250 million plastic bags being produced each year.
Tom Nicholson, Tesco’s London communications manager, said: “Our customers will really welcome this. I’d like to thank every one of them who has shared examples of ways they feel we can cut plastic in our Southwark stores.
“These conversations are making a real difference and they’ll continue to do so, as we look for more ways to remove, reduce, reuse and recycle packaging, to protect our environment.”
Next year, new legislation is expected to come into force curbing many types of single-use plastic responsible for plastic pollution in our rivers and oceans.
The new law will introduce tighter controls on the sale of plastic straws and cotton buds – and ban plastic drinks stirrers.
Removing plastic lids on yogurts, etc, is sheer stupidity! This idea has been made up by some moron who clearly doesn’t consume yoghurt!
Once the peel off lid is removed, the plastic lid is needed to preserve the freshness of the product; it is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY! The peel-back lid often tears and can’t be used to reseal the tub. In any event the peel-back lid will not reseal the product properly and could lead to contamination.
This ill-thought out goody two shoes idea will lead to more problems than is solves.
The plastic saver-lid always keeps clean and is placed in the recyclables bag, they are not even a minor cause of plastic pollution.