Asda pulls plastic forks from own brand packaging

Asda announced it will be removing more than 24.5 million plastic forks from its store brand salad meals and protein bowls, an equivalent of 41 tons of plastic.

The initiative is part of a larger “use less and recycle more” platform that the company is embracing, aiming to reduce plastic packaging within its private brand packaging by 15% by 2021.

Additionally, Asda will remove 21.6 tons of plastic from its Extra Special Asparagus product by eliminating a plastic tray associated with the product. The company has made waves in its fresh produce category, already eliminating 256 tons of plastic from fresh produce packaging this year.

The latest moves are helping Asda look to surpass its goal of reaching 30% recycled content in all of its plastic packaging by the end of 2020, five years ahead of its original deadline. The new own brand packages with less plastic will be available June 25.

“We are passionate about delivering our commitment to customers to use less and recycle more and this move marks the next step in our journey as we strive to commitment to reduce own brand plastic packaging by 15% by 2021,” said Kevin Patel, director of produce. “We know that customers like the ease of picking up salads and fresh produce on the go, but we know they are passionate about the environment plastic pollution, which is why we have made the decision to remove plastic forks so our customers don’t have to choose between living sustainably and shopping with ease.”