Supermarket chain Jumbo sells half-and-half minced meat from 1 April in a bag instead of a container. According to the supermarket, for example, a packaging of 500 grams requires 70 percent less plastic. Other types of minced meat also end up on the shelves per bag. This should result in savings of 300,000 kilos of plastic on an annual basis.
Whether it will not be messed with such a bag remains to be seen, but according to spokesman Suzanne van der Vaart of Jumbo, the ease of use should be the same or even improve: “The bag has a serrated edge at the top, making it easy to open. The minced meat then slides right into the pan “.
The packaging is also scrutinized in the fruit and vegetable department. For example, the blue container of the mushrooms will become transparent, because it is easier to recycle, and the bananas will soon be held together by a paper strap instead of plastic. Such a small adjustment can save 19,000 kilos of plastic on an annual basis, says Jumbo.
It will certainly take until this autumn before all the changes are implemented: “To adjust a packaging, the entire production line has to be adjusted, which is a major operation,” says Van der Vaart.
Eat it or throw it away
The fresh products will not be completely plastic-free any time soon. Cling film can make the difference between eating it or throwing it away. Thus one loses cucumber without a plastic sleeve, ten percent of its weight within three days. And food waste is also not good for the environment.
Earlier, Lidl and Albert Heijn according to the plastic packaging. The supermarkets have agreed in an industry plan to use 20 percent less packaging material in the store by 2025 and 95 percent of the packaging must then be recyclable.
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