Waitrose is trialling the removal of plastic on thousands of multibuy tins as it continues to remove and reduce single use plastic.
The plastic wrap, which is used to keep three or four tins attached for convenience, will be entirely removed from some of the retailer’s canned vegetables.
The move will save 18 tonnes of plastic that cannot currently be recycled, the retailer says.
By selling the cans loose but at multibuy prices, we’ll be able to pass the cost saving on to customers – without passing on the plastic
The top four bestselling staples were prioritised for the plastic removal as they sell in the largest quantities, including: essential Waitrose baked beans, chopped tomatoes, plum tomatoes and sweetcorn. If successful, the wrap will be removed on further canned products.
Customers will now be able to buy the same cans loose but will continue to pay the lower price for buying in bulk. If a customer purchases the same amount of loose tins – a multibuy purchase will be charged on checkout systems.
Karen Graley, Packaging Manager, Waitrose & Partners, said: “We know shoppers like the convenience of buying a few cans at a time as store cupboard essentials but we want to remove single use plastic wherever we can. By selling the cans loose but at multibuy prices, we’ll be able to pass the cost saving on to customers – without passing on the plastic.”
