Iceland ditches plastic packaging for its bananas
Iceland has announced it is starting to stop selling bananas in plastic packaging - and is urging other supermarkets to do the same.
The retailer is trialling the use of recyclable paper bands for pre-packaged bananas in three of its stores, and an additional 120 branches will follow in the coming days.
A national rollout is planned by the end of the year, with the supermarket claiming this will eventually save 10 million plastic bags a year.
Richard Walker, Iceland's managing director, said: "People have become so used to buying their products wrapped in plastic, or indeed using plastic bags for loose produce, and this has to stop if we are to turn down the tap on plastics.
Download the all-new Microsoft News app – available now on iOS and Android
Watch: Carlsberg swaps plastic for glue on six-packs to curb pollution (Provided by: Press Association)

-
Sheffield pensioner organises flypast to salute US airmen who saved his lifeThe pensioner whose lifelong dedication to 10 American airmen who died when their plane crashed in front of him 75 years ago prompted a planned memorial flypast believes thousands of people will turn-out for the salute. Tony Foulds was eight-years-old in February 1944 when he witnessed the B-17 Flying Fortress, Mi Amigo, crash and explode in Endcliffe Park, Sheffield, as its pilot apparently tried to avoid him and his friends. Mr Foulds, now 82, has spent decades dedicating himself to the memory of 10 Americans he never met, spending up to six days a week tending the memorial to them in the park.
Press Association
-
Trump vows to declare national emergency to fund border wallUS President Donald Trump says he'll be declaring a national emergency so he can build a southern border wall. Mr Trump did not say when he would make such a declaration, but the move will allow him to bypass Congress to spend more money to erect barriers on the Mexico border.
Press Association
-
Lottery couple who won £1m put celebrations on hold for birth of daughterA couple who won £1 million on a lottery draw had to put their celebrations on hold for the arrival of their baby daughter. Andrew Symes and Natalie Metcalf discovered they had scooped the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker prize the night after it was drawn on February 1.
Press Association
-
Sheffield pensioner organises flypast to salute US airmen who saved his life
-
Trump vows to declare national emergency to fund border wall
-
Lottery couple who won £1m put celebrations on hold for birth of daughter
-
Schoolchildren across UK strike over climate change
-
Police hunt Italian Job-style shopping centre raiders
-
London Fashion Week: Protest challenges lack of size diversity
-
Man recounts battle against mountain lion
-
Countdown to Brexit: 42 days until Britain leaves the EU
-
UK's largest collection of 'witches' marks discovered in caves
-
Vladimir Putin trains with Russia's judo team
-
Refugee father relives failed attempt to cross Channel with children
-
Former mixed martial arts fighter turns Sinn Fein politician
-
Brexit - what happens now?
-
Donald Trump set to declare emergency on border
-
Missing Libby Squire: What we know so far
-
Man proposes to partner on London Eye
"Our customers support our move to reduce single-use plastic and we are pleased to share this important milestone, with many more to come."
The supermarket has committed to eliminating plastic from all of its own-label packaging by 2023.
Its newly packaged bananas are the first product in any major British supermarket to feature the Plastic Free Trust Mark, which was launched by campaign group A Plastic Planet earlier this year.
Last month, Waitrose replaced plastic packaging on its Duchy Organic bananas with a sticky band, with the supermarket estimating the change would save eight tons of plastic a year.