70 percent of Australians continue to care about the planet and make sustainable decisions, according to Woolworths Group research on World Environment Day.
Woolworths has launched several initiatives to help customers continue to have a greener future. This further reduces plastic in a wider range of fruits and vegetables.
Woolworths claims to have removed a further 237 tons of plastic packaging last year by removing it from the plastic peel and tape for bananas, replacing rigid plastic peels with cellulose fibers on tomatoes, changing to a paper label on broccolini, and reducing the plastic film on carrots and potatoes by 30 percent Year.
The tray that Woolworths uses for its sweet potatoes and organic apples is now made from recycled cardboard rather than plastic.
Woolworths has also started a test to switch plastic packaging in its range of apples, pears and bananas from Fresh Food Kids to easy-to-recycle cardboard boxes.
"What was very surprising at COVID was the continued relevance of the environment," said Brad Banducci, CEO of the Woolworths Group. “70 percent of Australians said they care about the planet and make sustainable choices, even at the height of the crisis.
"This is something that inspires us equally, and Woolworths is still committed to a greener future.
“While we have made encouraging progress in reducing the amount of plastic in our stores, supporting recycling labeling initiatives, and making improvements in energy efficiency, sustainable sourcing and reducing food waste, we know that much more needs to be done to meet our needs to meet customers and our own endeavors. "
Disposable plastic
Since Woolworths removed disposable plastic bags in 2018, more than six billion sacks are said to have been removed from circulation.
This week, Woolworths also started offering paper bags made from 70 percent recycled paper that customers can buy to carry their purchases home.
Last year, according to the retailer, around 10,600 shopping trolleys made of soft plastic were recycled in the store as part of the RedCycle program. Woolworths has removed a total of 890 tons of plastic from its fruit, vegetable and bakery businesses in the past two years.
Food waste
According to Woolworths, 100 percent of stores have partners to redirect food waste.
In the last year alone, the supermarket said it diverted over 33,000 tons of food waste from the landfill to its partners for food aid or donated it to farmers as animal feed.
Woolie's contribution reaffirms his commitment to a “greener future” and first appeared in Retail World Magazine.
