- The supermarket’s ‘Baby Rockit’ apples come in cylindrical plastic packs of three
- University of Exeter professor branded the packaging ‘irresponsible’ on Twitter
- M&S said the plastic adds convenience to the packs which are priced at £2.50
- York professor suggested the retailer does not care about plastic pollution
- It comes after M&S announced push to become a ‘zero-waste business’
Environmentalists have slammed Marks & Spencer for selling apples in a plastic tube so they can fit in car cup holders.
The retailer is flogging three ‘Baby Rockit’ apples for £2.50 in cylinder-shaped packets – which they say make them easier to store.
But shoppers and marine biologists criticised the supermarket for overuse of plastic after a conservation science lecturer at the University of Exeter, tweeted a picture of the tubing.
Professor Brendan Godley suggested the packaging was out of touch with customers’ concerns, writing: ‘Please retweet if you think its passe for Marks and Spencer to be selling apples in plastic tubes because they “fit car cup holders (M&S rep)”.’
His tweet included the hashtags #timetochange and #irresponsiblepackaging and other users joined in to share their thoughts on the retailer’s packaging.
He later wrote: ‘Apples don’t need to come in a plastic tube.
‘We should be recycling essential plastics and ablating non essential uses from the market place and companies like Marks and Spencer are in a great position to lead.’
And University of York environmental lecturer Bryce Beukers-Stewart, tweeted: ‘If only apples came with some kind of protective edible skin….
‘Poor show Marks and Spencer – I thought you cared about #PlasticPollution.’
A representative for Marks and Spencer responded to the tweets by Dr Beukers-Stewart, saying the main purpose of the tubes is for ‘protection and convenience’.
They wrote: ‘We do care Bryce :/ The main reasons for the tube are protection and convenience. Being a small pack, it can easily fit in a car cup holder, or a bag.
‘The polymer used is PET which is widely recycled, though we’re working on improving the material used to keep in line with our Plan A initiative.’
Marks and Spencer’s ‘Plan A 2025’ aims to transform lives and communities and for the company to become a zero-waste business.
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