UK adults prefer buying loose fresh fruit and veg

The survey coincides with the launch of the Food Waste Action Week, the flagship annual event delivered by WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste brand. 

Award-winning author, low-waste chef and campaigner, Max La Manna, is this year’s Food Waste Action Week campaign ambassador.  

He has brought to life the reality of how much pre-packaged fruit and vegetables (particularly potatoes) end up in the bin in a tongue-in-cheek home cooking video that demonstrates how ridiculous it is to throw away food you have just bought.  

For example, each year in UK homes, 510,000 tonnes of potatoes are binned, representing 46% of all potatoes bought.  

Max La Manna said: “It floors me that we are throwing away so many potatoes every year before we have had chance to use them.  

“Buying them loose would allow us to choose an amount we know we’d realistically use, whether that is one giant potato for baking or a few smaller ones to make mash, and this goes for all fruit and veg

“It is fantastic to partner with Love Food Hate Waste on this campaign and shout about the impact of food waste (my great passion) on both the planet and our pockets.” 

Ditching plastic packaging 

According to a new Love Food Hate Waste survey, conducted with adults in the UK (16+) who buy fresh fruit and vegetables, 78% said they would be likely to buy their usual fruit and veg loose if they were sold that way, which was one of the highest given answers compared to other packaging formats – followed by paper bags or sacks (77%) and cardboard trays/boxes and cartons (75%) .  

On the other hand, less than half said they would be likely to buy their usual fruit and veg in plastic packaging, such as plastic trays/boxes/cartons (46%), and plastic bags/sacks (47%). The only packaging format with a lower preference score was wooden crates (43%).  

When survey respondents were asked about the fresh fruit or vegetables they buy most often, on balance, loose came out on top – 56% preferred loose compared to 39% who preferred packaged.  

Of the 56% who would prefer their fruit and veg loose, over two-thirds (68%) say this would allow them to buy exactly the amount they need.  

When asked their reasons for why they throw away food that they had not eaten, 75% of UK adults (16+) who admitted to doing this stated that the food was out of date/had gone off, indicating that people are wasting food and buying more than they have time to use. 

The demand for plastic-free produce is high.UK adults (16+) who buy fruit and vegetables would prefer to buy loose over packaged across nearly all (19 of the 21) fruit and veg items measured in the survey, with bananas coming in top – 70% of those asked would prefer their bananas loose.  

Save the waste 

For those people who prefer to buy fresh fruit and vegetables loose, WRAP believes the challenge is ensuring that they have the option to buy loose, and that option is visible and attractive to them.  

The survey suggests that this group is more likely to be composed of older people (73% of those aged 76 and over, and 68% of those aged 55-75 preferred loose compared to 38% of those aged 16-24), those living in smaller households (63% of single-occupancy households and 64% of those in a two-person household prefer loose, compared to 47% of those in a four-person or more in the  household), and those households without children (61% preferred loose, compared to 47% of those with children in the household).   

For those who say they prefer packaged – which the survey found was higher among younger people (for example, 59% of those aged 16-24 prefer packed compared to 27% of those aged 55-75 and 23% of those 76 or over) and those living in larger households (48% of those in a four or more person household prefer packed compared to 31% of those in a two person household and 33% of single occupancy households) – Food Waste Action Week wants to help this group recognise the money, food and plastic savings that buying loose brings. 

If all apples, bananas and potatoes were sold loose, 60,000 tonnes of food waste could be saved every year in the UK. 

WRAP wants to let loose 

WRAP’s research has identified the potential to reduce household food waste by removing the packaging on uncut fresh fruit and veg, so that people can buy closer to their needs as well as eliminating a significant amount of unnecessary packaging.  

WRAP has called for a consultation on a packaging ban on 21 fruit and veg items, to be developed via a formal consultation process. This recommendation has been developed with the food and drink industry across the supply chain.  

Selling these 21 items only loose could potentially save 100,000 tonnes of edible fruit and vegetables from being wasted annually in people’s homes as well as saving 13,000 tonnes of plastic film, the organisation said. 

Jackie Bailey, senior campaign manager at Love Food Hate Waste, said: “In the UK, 60% of all food waste comes from people’s homes, with fresh fruit and veg making up the largest proportion. Buying loose fruit and veg has the potential to significantly cut the amount of food ending up in the bin, and we have the evidence that it is what consumers want – now is the time for retailers and shoppers to make that a reality.  

“Increasing loose fruit and veg offerings in store will not only reduce plastic waste, it will also enable shoppers to buy closer to their needs, slashing food waste and preventing tens of thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions.” 

Circular economy minister Mary Creagh added: “Farmers work tirelessly to put food on our nation’s tables – so it is absurd that households are throwing away £1,000 a year in food that could have been eaten.  

“Food Waste Action Week is vital for raising awareness and encouraging people to only buy the fruit and veg they need, use what they buy, save money, and slash food waste. Through our £15 million food surplus fund, food producers, charities and government are working together to ensure more produce gets to those who need it most.” 

Food waste facts 

• 4.7 million tonnes of edible food is thrown away in UK households each year which is worth £17 billion.
• Food waste accounts for 18 million tonnes of CO2 in the UK. 
• 60,000 tonnes of food waste could be prevented if all apples, potatoes and bananas were sold loose, representing 8.2 million shopping baskets’ worth of food.   
• 510,000 tonnes of potatoes are binned every year before we get round to using them, representing 46%*** of all potatoes bought in the UK.   
• Food waste costs on average £1,000 for a household of four every year. 

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