Resealable salad bags made from a thicker film than usual will reduce the high volumes of leaves in standard bags that are currently thrown away, says the retailer.
Similar to the sliding lock found in cheese packing, the new bags seal closed to keep the salad from spilling out once the bag has been opened.
They are the latest Tesco product to be launched as part of the retailer’s ongoing food waste drive and were developed to reduce the amount of salad thrown away in UK households.
Using data from Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) – a not-for-profit organisation that works with governments, businesses and the public to promote waste reduction – Tesco also created the solution to keep pace with the increasing demand for salad.
In 2012, WRAP research found that lettuce and leafy salads had among the highest level (40%) of household food waste in Britain.
While the Tesco research discovered shoppers don’t always have a specific meal plan in mind when they buy bagged salad which leads to them being “forgotten purchases”. It also found that current bags do not protect leaves or seal properly, so contents tend to spill out and shoppers don’t like the idea of air going into the bag.
“Over the last two years we’ve been working with our growers to develop new packaging which allows customers to return to their bags of salad over a number of days with very little hassle or fuss,” says Tesco produce buyer manager Adam Hill.
“We know many shoppers roll up their bagged salads after using them once and stick them at the back of their fridges where they are forgotten for days or even weeks.
“These new bags are made from stronger material to protect the leaves from getting scrunched up – so preventing them from going to waste.”
WRAP also welcomes the move, commending Tesco for its food waste initiative.
The new Tesco salad bags are priced as follows; Babyleaf spinach (240g) – £1.50; Iceberg lettuce (260g) – £1; Sweet and crunchy (370g) – £1; Babyleaf salad (140g) – £1.50.
