Waitrose Duchy Organic tomato leaf and recycled cardboard punnet. Credit: Waitrose.

UK supermarket chain Waitrose has launched a new environmentally friendly packaging for its Duchy Organic cherry tomatoes and baby plum tomatoes.

The new non-plastic punnet is made out of tomato leaves, Waitrose stated.

The company combined dried tomato leaf and recycled cardboard pulp to manufacture the new style punnets.

The 200g Waitrose Duchy Organic cherry tomatoes on the vine packaged in new punnets are being trialled across 286 branches while the punnet for Waitrose Duchy Organic baby plum tomatoes 225g is made available in 170 branches.

“Since 2009, we’ve reduced overall packaging across all products by nearly 50%.”

If the trial is successful, the new packaging will be rolled out to further branches next year, which could potentially save 3.5 million plastic trays per annum.

Waitrose Fresh Produce head Nicola Waller said: “We are determined to reduce our use of plastic across our business.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData

Tick here to opt out of curated industry news, reports, and event updates from Packaging Gateway.

Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“This builds on our commitment to ensure that all our own-label packaging is widely recyclable, reusable or home compostable by 2025.

“Since 2009, we’ve reduced overall packaging across all products by nearly 50% and are excited about this imaginative way to present our Duchy Organic tomatoes to our customers.”

Additionally, Waitrose uses boxes partly made from pulses for its Red Lentil Pasta and Waitrose Green Pea Pasta.

These boxes are claimed to reduce the use of virgin tree pulp by 15% and lower greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.

Waitrose Duchy Organic eggs are packaged in a box made from a mixture of rye grass and recycled paper, which annually saves 77t of wood and paper.