Tesco is set to trial fully recyclable packaging for its 1kg new season potatoes and a reduction in the amount of paper used in its 2.5kg potato packaging.
The packaging trial will last for 12 weeks across 100 stores, with plans to roll out the changes to more products if successful.
New Season Early Potatoes
The packaging change will initially cover the Tesco Ireland range of ‘New Season Early Potatoes’.
The change will also reduce the amount of paper used in Tesco’s 2.5kg new season potatoes bag by 30% and remove almost 50,000 non-recyclable 1kg new season plastic bags from the waste system annually.
The new paper bags will carry the green ‘widely recycled’ logo and can be recycled at home using kerbside collection infrastructure.
The new single-ply paper bag is responsibly sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited material and replaces the existing plastic 1kg bags.
Plastic components of the 2.5kg potato paper bag, which contained a non-recyclable net window, will be removed and will be fully recyclable.
Trial Period
Over the course of the trial, over 130,000 packs of Irish grown new season early Premier and Queens potatoes are expected to be sold across Ireland in the new packaging.
Joe Manning, commercial director, Tesco Ireland, said, “Working with our partners at Country Crest, this change to our potato packaging means that customers can enjoy the best of new season Irish grown Tesco potatoes even more as the packaging will be fully recyclable through the at-home recycling infrastructure.”
Denise Foley, national account manager, Country Crest, who have grown and supplied potatoes and onions to Tesco for over 20 years, takes its sustainability role very seriously and is happy to be contributing further to Ireland’s sustainability goals:
“This environmental breakthrough has made the launch of our new season early premier potatoes even more special. Grown in glasshouses in North County Dublin by two of our growers, Matt Thorne and Willie Rogan, who specialise in early varieties, this new packaging makes the Tesco potatoes the ideal choice for a family and for the environment. Our growers’ expertise in early varieties means the very best quality potatoes make it to Tesco and onwards to your plate.”
© 2021 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click sign up to subscribe to Checkout.
