UK to implement ban on plastic-packaged fruits and vegetables in 2024
The UK government has recently declared their decision to prohibit the sale of fruits and vegetables that come in plastic packaging. What are the reasons?
This move is aimed at tackling the issue of food waste as official figures from 2021 reveal that Britons throw away 76 kg of food per head every year. As per a report published in metro.co.uk, the government aims to introduce this legislation as early as 2024.
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No more fruit and vegetables in plastic packaging
The ban imposed by the government will be applicable to all supermarket chains that have stores in the UK. Currently, only 19% of fruits and vegetables in the UK are sold without plastic packaging. The purpose of this ban is twofold: firstly, it will allow consumers to purchase the exact amount of produce they require. Secondly, it aims to reduce the amount of single-use plastic waste that ends up in trash bins and incinerators.
Interestingly, according to data from the Federation of Polish Food Banks (Polish: Federacja Polskich BankĆ³w Å»ywnoÅci) for 2019, the amount of food wasted by the average Pole is very similar to that reported in the UK. On an annual basis, we throw away as much as 75 kg of food per person into the garbage.
Source: metro.co.uk