UK: Consumers throw away 40% of bagged leaves

Britons throw away 40% of the bagged salad they buy every year, according to the latest data, with 37,000 tonnes – the equivalent of 178m bags – going uneaten every year.

The figures from the government’s waste advisory body Wrap are being published on Wednesday by the supermarket giant Tesco to highlight that prepared salads are still among the UK’s most wasted household foods. Past studies have shown that the average UK family throws away £700 of food each year.

Shoppers do not always buy bagged salads with a specific meal in mind, which can lead to them being forgotten about and then binned, according to separate research carried out by Tesco. Flimsy packaging can lead to delicate leaves spilling out, being damaged and then going soggy.

After a two-year programme finding out why shoppers waste so much, Tesco is aiming to reduce the volume of salad waste with resealable bags. This week it will start selling its own-brand salads in bags with sliding zip locks and made of a thicker film than usual to prolong the fridge life of the leaves.

Read more at The Guardian