Morrisons pledges to make all its packaging recyclable by 2025

The supermarket has already banned the sale of single use carrier bags

Morrisons has teamed up with a sustainability charity to work on plans to reduce plastic use (REUTERS)

Morrisons has pledged to make all its own-brand packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 amid a range plans to reduce plastic use within its stores.

The supermarket will allow customers to use their own containers to buy meat and fish from its butcher and fishmonger counters, and will trial the removal of plastic packaging from fruit and vegetables in a number of stores.

It is also replacing the black plastic trays used for fish and meat with recyclable packaging materials, with a target of phasing out the trays by the end 2019.

David Potts, chief executive of Morrisons, said: “Reducing the damage caused by plastic is one of the most challenging issues society can address. Because we make most of the fresh food we sell, we’re in an important position to make changes to our packaging.”

The company said 82 per cent of the plastic by weight in its packaging is currently recyclable and in order to achieve its 100 per cent target, Morrisons will be collaborating with suppliers, other retailers, local authorities and sustainability charity WRAP.

The group said actions it has already taken to tackle plastic consumption include no longer buying plastic drinking straws and switching to cotton buds with paper stems rather than plastic ones. It also no longer sells 5p single use carrier bags.

Morrisons' announcement is part of a wider move by businesses to take action on plastic usage - Costa Coffee recently pledged to recycle as many disposable cups as it produces by 2020.