A waste reduction charity in the United Kingdom is pushing to ban plastic packaging when buying fruits and vegetables.
According to the Times, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) works with the government to increase recycling and reduce waste.
Lawmakers are set to consider this proposal in the fall, and retailers hope that a uniform change will be easier to implement than relying on individual suppliers to make adjustments.
Overall, the goal of the ban is that buying produce loose, rather than in pre-packaged quantities, will reduce food waste, in addition to plastic waste, since many are forced to buy a certain number of items that come in pre-packaged plastic. As the Food Packing Forum notes, prepackaged foods can sometimes lead to buying more than can be consumed.
Catherine David, the chief executive of WRAP, said: "Our research has found that if you remove the plastic packaging, you also reduce food waste, because people buy less."
Plastic also generates waste on its own. Plastics are made from dirty energy sources like crude oil, and they take hundreds of years to break down. Instead of degrading, they split into smaller fragments called microplastics over time.
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Microplastics can leach harmful chemicals into soil or waterways, but they can also enter our food through packaging, especially when that packaging has been exposed to heat or sunlight. According to Harvard Medicine, microplastics may cause a variety of problems for humans, including reproductive issues, digestive issues, and cancers.
Multiple grocery stores in the United Kingdom are beginning to comply with the ban. Waitrose has started to remove plastic packaging where possible but notes that some produce, like cucumbers, need the plastic to preserve the quality, the Times explains.
While there are still matters of official legislation and figuring out workarounds for certain items, WRAP's packaging ban is a move in a more sustainable direction.
A representative from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "Ending our throwaway society and reducing household food waste is a crucially important step towards a circular economy. Cutting waste in our food supply chain is one of the key areas of focus."
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