The news comes as research by University College London finds evidence to show that compostable plastic only breaks down under specific conditions and the process was not happening consistently via local authority facilities or in-home compost heaps.

As a result, Abel & Cole has said it will work with its suppliers to ensure this is removed and will look to roll out alternative packaging, such as recyclable paper bags which it currently uses for carrot and potato packaging.

Hugo Lynch, sustainability project manager at Abel & Cole said: “Until recently we thought compostable plastic ended up as compost. Growing evidence shows that’s not always the case. It turns out that compostable plastic only breaks down under certain conditions. And unless your local authority has access to the right equipment, compostable plastic behaves a lot like regular plastic.

“That’s why we’ve made the decision to remove compostable plastic in our core fruit and veg Boxes. And we’re working hard with all our suppliers to completely remove it from our range by the end of 2023. But we can’t fix the problem of compostable plastic pollution alone. We’re calling on decision makers in the food industry to join us too.”

Abel & Cole added that it would extend its Club Zero refillables range, as well as launching the ‘Plastic Pick-Up Scheme’, collecting flexible plastics from customers’ doorsteps.

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