Tesco plucks plastic trays from whole chicken packaging

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TESCO has announced that from next year it will stop using plastic trays to pack its fresh, whole chickens.

The supermarket will remove the tray and film from 16 million of its own brand chickens and replace it with a single bag. In addition to the removal of the plastic, it said it will also reduce the overall weight of plastic used to package the chicken by 30%.

Tesco said the new packaging is more hygienic for customers, as it will allow for them to transfer the chicken into a roasting tray without having to handle it. It added that trials of the new packaging have proven it to be a success.

Sarah Bradbury, quality director at Tesco, said, “We’re focused on removing any plastic which is unnecessary, reducing anything that is excessive, introducing reusable options, and making sure everything that’s left is recyclable. Our new chicken pack is a great example of how we are redesigning our packaging to use less plastic, and at the same time we have made it easier and safer for customers to use.”