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Original poster

To wish supermarkets would not wrap cucumbers in plastic?

37 replies

wildfellhall · 29/08/2024 13:50

Let alone all the other veg.

I would like to shop in Aldi more often but it's a massive plastic festival. If an aubergine can be unwrapped - why not a cucumber?

OP posts:
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Pocketfullofdogtreats · 31/08/2024 22:26

SoupDragon · 29/08/2024 14:14

Cucumbers are the only fruit/veg item I buy that are wrapped in plastic. (Actually, I do buy mushrooms but that wrap is at least recyclable at the store)

They do last far longer with the wrap so that saves on food waste. It's a shame it isn't recyclable though.

That type of plastic is recyclable at some supermarkets. Our local Sainsbury's has a big bin for it and I've seen one outside Waitrose as well.

angeldelite · 29/08/2024 19:28

Madlymumming · 29/08/2024 19:07

But the plastic does make it easier to remove the forgotten cucumber at the back of the veg drawer 🫣

Also true!

angeldelite · 29/08/2024 19:28

OhmygodDont · 29/08/2024 19:05

Probably the variety. As others had said home grown have much thicker skins. The Tesco ones very thin.

Being grown purely for high yield fast results on something that’s imported a lot of the year vs good quality from a greengrocer working with a local Yet still big greenhouse grower.

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True, the long ones in the market are thick skinned.

Madlymumming · 29/08/2024 19:07

But the plastic does make it easier to remove the forgotten cucumber at the back of the veg drawer 🫣

OhmygodDont · 29/08/2024 19:05

angeldelite · 29/08/2024 16:38

My local market sells both the long and baby cucumbers without plastic wrapping.

Neither seem to go bad in my fridge quickly.

Probably the variety. As others had said home grown have much thicker skins. The Tesco ones very thin.

Being grown purely for high yield fast results on something that’s imported a lot of the year vs good quality from a greengrocer working with a local Yet still big greenhouse grower.

Danceswithweasels · 29/08/2024 19:00

I don't mind the cucumber wrap but currently have an Apple issue. I don't have a huge selection of shops to choose from but over the last few years they all seem to sell plastic packs of apples rather than loose and these contain maybe two ripe apples. Some are so green they are never eatable. I would love to do the green grocer or market thing but work means I can't usually do this. I just want to buy ripe or nearly ripe fruit with minimal plastic.

blackcherryconserve · 29/08/2024 18:45

Lokofloko · 29/08/2024 13:52

Because cucumbers have a lot of water in them, try to do experiment and buy two, and leave one unwrapped in your fridge, it will go bad much quicker.
Other veg wrapped in plastic I don't understand.

Edited

In France, where my partner lives, cucumbers are never wrapped in plastic and keep just fine.

Oblomov24 · 29/08/2024 18:35

I hate that too.

SoupDragon · 29/08/2024 18:30

itsmylife7 · 29/08/2024 17:17

That's the point of supermarket plastic bag recycling. All the plastic film that can't be recycled in our normal household , goes to supermarket.

Look it up and you'll be surprised what you can recycle .

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The things that can be recycled with bags say "recycle with bags at supermarkets" and I take all of those (plus a few other things which are the same but unlabelled). Cucumber label (and website) says "film not currently recycled".

itsmylife7 · 29/08/2024 17:17

SoupDragon · 29/08/2024 16:03

I know. The film on a cucumber says "not currently recycled" though.

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That's the point of supermarket plastic bag recycling. All the plastic film that can't be recycled in our normal household , goes to supermarket.

Look it up and you'll be surprised what you can recycle .

angeldelite · 29/08/2024 16:38

My local market sells both the long and baby cucumbers without plastic wrapping.

Neither seem to go bad in my fridge quickly.

Thistooshallpass24 · 29/08/2024 16:11

Lots of film on produce/products say not currently recycled that can be due to using up older packaging etc
The soft plastic cycling scheme removes the wrong items and passes on to the right place it used to say on the recycle bins ( I use Morrisons which is a giant cage so haven't seen a small biin style one in a while)

SoupDragon · 29/08/2024 16:03

itsmylife7 · 29/08/2024 16:01

Big supermarket like Tesco and Morrisons have a soft plastic recycling bit.

All cat food pouches,crisp packets and numerous other stuff is recycled with the plastic bags.

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I know. The film on a cucumber says "not currently recycled" though.

itsmylife7 · 29/08/2024 16:01

SoupDragon · 29/08/2024 14:14

Cucumbers are the only fruit/veg item I buy that are wrapped in plastic. (Actually, I do buy mushrooms but that wrap is at least recyclable at the store)

They do last far longer with the wrap so that saves on food waste. It's a shame it isn't recyclable though.

Big supermarket like Tesco and Morrisons have a soft plastic recycling bit.

All cat food pouches,crisp packets and numerous other stuff is recycled with the plastic bags.

Aussieland · 29/08/2024 15:59

It’s interesting because you can buy a non plastic wrapped cucumber in Australia and it lasts just fine. I hate plastic wrapped veggies and fruit and use reusable mesh bags if I have to but otherwise they just roam free!

Ginmonkeyagain · 29/08/2024 15:58

Sainsbury's sell those little Turkish cucumbers without plastic wrap.

Thistooshallpass24 · 29/08/2024 15:37

In my post, I meant that the cost would rise due to wastage/spoilage

Skyrainlight · 29/08/2024 15:03

I grow cucumbers on the allotment and I don't wrap them when I pick them but because of that they don't last long. I use them within a few days to make sure they are still good and crunchy. With transport and storage supermarkets will need some way to wrap the cucumbers to keep them fresh, but there must be a non plastic option.

Reugny · 29/08/2024 14:46

HateMyselfToo · 29/08/2024 14:43

This is exactly why they don't do it. If people only bought what they needed, say 4 tomatoes rather than 6, they'd be less food waste. Food waste in homes is good for supermarket profits.

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Most supermarkets sell some loose fruit and veg.

Normally it's bananas, onions and other items people just use one.

HarrietHillbilly · 29/08/2024 14:44

Yeah I think it's to do with the cucumber skin. Home grown cucumbers have a slightly thicker skin and last a couple of weeks in the fridge. If you take the plastic off a supermarket cucumber it's horrible in a couple of days.

Need thicker skinned cucumbers! I guess perhaps the reason we don't have them is that British people prefer their tasteless thin skinned cucumbers 🤷

Chickadeep · 29/08/2024 14:43

More food waste and carbon used if you don't wrap them

HateMyselfToo · 29/08/2024 14:43

Bringbackthedodo · 29/08/2024 13:52

I would be quite happy to go back to loose fruit and veg and paper bags so I can just buy what I want and need.

This is exactly why they don't do it. If people only bought what they needed, say 4 tomatoes rather than 6, they'd be less food waste. Food waste in homes is good for supermarket profits.

Singleandproud · 29/08/2024 14:42

Morrisons trialed not wrapping cucumbers a year or so ago, it was a massive failure and resulted in a load of food waste, the cucumbers went floppy and lost their structural integrity very quickly, got damaged, and began to develop mould really quickly.

That's not to say plastic wrap is the only option, a plant based cellulose or similar would be used.

Idtotallybangdreamoftheendlessnotgonnalie · 29/08/2024 14:39

Plastic wrap on cucumbers sold in Britain is surprisingly well thought out.

As they tend to have a thinner skin than other countries cucumbers, without the close wrap they lose moisture too fast and go squidgy or their thin skin will get damaged and rot.

I would prefer it if the wrap was a compostable one personally, but it is better to have the plastic wrap and avoid wastage as opposed to no wrap and a high wastage.