Avocado enthusiasts will observe significant changes when purchasing one of the most popular salad items at Tesco in the UK. In an effort to help the environment, the supermarket plans to test the elimination of barcode stickers on extra-large avocados, replacing them with prominent laser etching.
Simultaneously, Tesco will also experiment with replacing the plastic tray packaging for two famous avocado lines with a recyclable cardboard container.
If implemented in all stores, these measures, in collaboration with Westfalia Fruit, the UK’s main avocado supplier based in Spalding, Lincolnshire, could eliminate over 20 million plastic tray packages from the twin-pack avocado and up to 25 million packages from the entire pre-packed range.
Based on current sales data provided by Westfalia Fruit, Tesco could also remove nearly a million plastic stickers from loose extra-large avocados. Tesco sells approximately 70 million avocados annually and has experienced a 15 percent increase in demand for the fruit in the past year.
“We are constantly seeking innovative ways to reduce the environmental impact of our products and minimise plastic waste through changes in our packaging,” said Lisa Gilbey, Tesco's avocado buyer.
“We are eager to receive customer feedback on our new laser-etched avocados, as it eliminates the need for a barcode sticker that can be easily forgotten and left on during recycling."
Westfalia Fruit, a major multinational avocado supplier, is responsible for the new laser-etching technology and has conducted extensive trials to ensure that the fruit's quality, shelf life, and taste are not compromised.
"We are committed to improving our environmental performance and operating responsibly by prioritising initiatives such as reducing and, where possible, eliminating plastic from our packaging to address the plastic waste challenge,” said Graham Isaac, General Manager of Westfalia Fruit.
“We are confident that with a collective effort as an industry, we can significantly reduce waste, use natural resources responsibly, and protect the environment and biodiversity for our future."
The high-powered lasers remove a small portion of the top layer of avocado skin, imprinting size information on the fruit as instructed by a computer program.
This process creates a "tattoo" in a fraction of a second, displaying information for customers and cashiers, including the size or variety of the fruit.
The trials will be conducted in around 270 Tesco stores in southeast England and, pending positive customer feedback, will be expanded to all Tesco locations.
