NAKED CUCUMBERS HELP SCRAP THE WRAP

3.43.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 30th Aug 2007

West Midlands MEP Liz Lynne has welcomed news that the Co-op is to stop putting shrink wrap on cucumbers. The local Euro MP is calling for action to cut down on packaging, either by voluntary action from retailers and direct mail companies, or if necessary through mandatory UK or EU law.

"The news on cucumbers is very welcome. Campaigners like myself can applaud the Co-op's decision to replace the over-used and damaging plastic which envelopes so many products on supermarket shelves, with environmentally friendly alternatives. The Co-op alone sells 10 million cucumbers every year, and this improvement will certainly help reduce waste."

"But this change alone is not nearly enough. The amount of waste on supermarket shelves is appalling, and many supermarkets do not make enough effort. In addition, there is a huge amount of junk mail that comes wrapped in plastic which has to be removed before the paper inside can be recycled, which means a lot of it isn't. The current UK 'voluntary agreement' is toothless and obviously ineffective."

"The European Parliament is striving to get EU governments to agree more stringent regulations to minimise waste, and it is time those ministers agreed. The current complacency about plastic wrap is inexcusable."