Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps the Government has taken to encourage retailers to introduce plastic-free supermarket aisles.

The Government is currently working with retailers to encourage their efforts to reduce packaging waste and to explore the introduction of plastic-free supermarket initiatives in which all the food is loose, giving consumers the choice to make greener decisions.

Packaging plays a valuable role in increasing shelf-life of many food items and therefore reduces food waste. However, there are likely to be opportunities where offering food loose may help to reduce plastic waste whilst not impacting on shelf life.

The Government is also looking at further ways to reduce avoidable waste and recycle more as part of its Resources and Waste Strategy to be published later this year.