Consumers have lashed out on social media in reaction to the plastic wrapping which surrounds a third-party brand of ‘organic’ coconuts sold by Sainsbury’s.
In the retailer’s packaging KPIs, it pledges to ‘reduce and optimize’ its own-brand packaging by 50% compared with 2005, however the same rule does not appear to apply to third-party brands stocked by the supermarket giant, and its customers have noticed.
Calling the coconut packaging ‘100% unnecessary’, consumers have expressed their disapproval on Twitter, questioning how Genuine Coconut, the brand behind the product, can ‘get away with calling this organic’.
Totally unnecessary – particularly as coconuts come in their own rather sturdy packaging
“How is replacing a coconut’s perfectly good shell with unsustainable plastic wrapping, a single-use plastic straw and cardboard ‘striving to avoid all unnecessary packaging’?” one Twitter user asked.
Other comments included: “How long has this ridiculousness been going on?!” and “Totally unnecessary – particularly as coconuts come in their own rather sturdy packaging! A perfect example of #pointlessplastics”.
The outburst of criticism was countered with a reply from a Genuine Coconut spokesperson to The Independent: “We can assure customers we use a range of recyclable materials to keep our organic coconut water fresh. This includes the high-tech film on the product, which mimics its original green peel and is made of entirely recyclable materials.”
