Time to 'scrap the wrap' says Graham Watson MEP

6.00.00am GMT Fri 26th Jan 2007

Graham Watson, Liberal Democrat MEP for the South West and Gibraltar, is demanding that supermarkets slash unnecessary packaging to reduce Britain's huge waste mountain.

Latest figures show that 4.6 million tons of waste packaging are increasing local grocery bills and choking landfill sites across the country. On Tuesday, Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Menzies Campbell challenged supermarkets to come clean on the amount of waste they are producing and to draw up plans to reduce it.

Rebutting claims that EU rules are to blame for cucumbers, apples and even swedes being sold in shrink-wrapped plastic sleeves, Graham Watson has said that the fault lies entirely with British supermarkets. He said:

"There is no EU requirement for fruit and vegetables to be sold like this, and it doesn't happen to the same extent in other European countries. Our supermarkets are simply obsessed with producing excessive packaging.

"Cucumbers are provided by nature with a tough green skin to keep them fresh and protect them from damage. They do not need any help. It's time the supermarkets stopped making false claims about consumer preferences and asked people directly whether they want so much packaging. Everyone who returns from a supermarket shop to find themselves buried in unwanted packaging will give them a very strong response.

"Supermarkets like Marks & Spencer and Tesco have announced some positive environmental initiatives in recent weeks. But if they are really to be part of the solution they must demonstrate that they can reduce volumes of waste inflicted upon us."