Laser-etched avocados will cut packaging, say M&S

Record ID: 896570

  • Title: Laser-etched avocados will cut packaging, say M&S
  • Date: 23rd June 2017
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF AVOCADOS BEING LASER ETCHED (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHARLIE CURTIS, SENIOR AGRONOMIST AT MARKS AND SPENCER, SAYING: "The impact is fantastic. I think for the two lines that we're going to launch this it on in total that's 10 tons of paper and five tonnes of glue. So it's phenomenal." WOMEN SORTING AVOCADOS VARIOUS OF WOMAN PUTTING STICKERS ON AVOCADOS MANUALLY AVOCADO WITH STICKER (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHARLIE CURTIS, SENIOR AGRONOMIST AT MARKS AND SPENCER, SAYING: "It's only taking off a very small layer of the cells. It doesn't actually penetrate the fruit in any way. At Marks & Spencer quality is our number one so we wouldn't do any innovation if we thought it was going to compromise on quality. It literally just takes off the first layer and it puts it in, it's incredibly precise." TONBRIDGE, KENT, ENGLAND, UK (JUNE 21, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF AVOCADOS ON SHELVES WOMAN BUYING LASERED AVOCADO (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHEILA BUTTLE, SHOPPER, SAYING: "This is a really good idea. I suppose it's slightly limited, but nevertheless the more things you can do it to the better, for everybody. It saves packing up our rubbish bins at home and takes the space away form the lorries and everything else, doesn't it." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID BENNETT, SHOPPER, SAYING: "I haven't seen it before and if we could introduce it on other things to stop packaging it would be a great thing." (SOUNDBITE) (English) LORI FISHER, SHOPPER, SAYING: "I think it's very important to try to switch to recycling but inevitably it doesn't always work, people end up putting things into landfill - and so something like this prevents any waste going to landfill." MORE OF AVOCADOS M&S WORKER VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SHOPPING
  • Embargoed: 7th July 2017 01:21
  • Keywords: avocado avocados laser stickering stickers landfill recycling M&S
  • Location: PADDOCK WOOD AND TONBRIDGE, KENT
  • City: PADDOCK WOOD AND TONBRIDGE, KENT
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Information Technologies / Computer Sciences,Science
  • Reuters ID: LVA0036MHY257
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A leading British retailer has launched an innovative solution to the wasteful use of paper stickers on fresh produce.
    On Thursday (June 22) Marks and Spencer (M&S) began selling avocados marked with laser-etchings showing a best-before date and place of origin, in some UK stores.
    Charlie Curtis, M&S senior produce agronomist, told Reuters the laser removes a single layer of skin without damaging the fruit.
    "It's only taking off a very small layer of the cells. It doesn't actually penetrate the fruit in any way," said Curtis.
    It took six months for M&S to perfect the laser process, but if the trial succeeds, laser-labelling could be extended to other fruit and vegetables. The retailer plans to extend laser etching to melons.
    "I think for the two lines that we're going to launch this it on in total it's 10 tonnes of paper and five tonnes of glue, so it's phenomenal," said Curtis.
    The firm experimented with citrus fruits, but found the laser penetrated too far into the soft, porous skin. This also made the fruit deteriorate faster.
    Curtis says tougher skinned fruit like pumpkins could be lasered, perhaps with "cut here" scary faces for Halloween.
    The retailer tried to laser a barcode onto avocados, but found the skin too uneven, although other produce shouldn't face the same problem.
    Lasered avocados have been launched in a quarter of M&S stores in the UK. If customer reaction is positive, it will be introduced in every outlet.
    Curtis told Reuters that the laser machine will save the company money and is both faster and more precise than traditional stickering.
    At an M&S store in the town of Tonbridge, shoppers liked the idea.
    "This is a really good idea," said Sheila Buttle. "I suppose it's slightly limited, but nevertheless the more things you can do it to the better, for everybody."
    "If we could introduce it on other items to reduce packaging it would be a great thing," agreed David Bennett.
    "It's very important to try to switch to recycling but inevitably people end up putting things into landfill. Something like this prevents any waste going to landfill," said Lori Fisher.
    Founded in 1884, M&S is one of the UK's leading brands, selling luxury food products, clothing, and home products. It has 959 stores across the UK, including 615 that only sell food products.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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