Local school children join Iceland’s plastic-free greengrocer trial

Iceland was delighted to welcome local students from Croxteth Community Primary School in Liverpool to take an active part in its plastic-free fresh fruit and vegetables initiative, and to learn about the impact of plastic packaging. 

Eight students, aged between seven and nine acted as mini greengrocers for the morning in support of the plastic-free produce trial launched in February at one of Iceland’s larger concept stores, The Food Warehouse in Gillmoss, North Liverpool, to offer customers the choice of buying loose fruit and vegetables or those offered in plastic-free packaging instead of plastic-packaged products.

To better educate the children about the benefits of plastic-free packaging, the pupils helped to weigh fruit and vegetables, stock the plastic-free produce sections, inform customers about the importance of choosing sustainable packaging options, and even support at the till point.

The students all formed part of the school’s newly elected Eco Council – a group of pupils who champion environmental causes at the school and educate their classmates on how to be more eco-conscious. The schools’s Eco Council has recently planted trees in Alt Park and visited Gilmoss Recycling and Discovery Centre.

Iceland Managing Director Richard Walker commented: “We all have a role to play in the fight against single-use plastic and I’m delighted to be involving the local community of North Liverpool in our innovative trial. The feedback we collect from our customers in this store will be used to inform future initiatives and packaging development.

“It’s so important that the next generation understands the challenge of plastic waste and how we need to work together to find alternative solutions so that they can make more sustainable choices in the future. That’s why so it’s great to see the pupils from Croxteth Community Primary School getting involved in the trial and learning more about the plastic packaging issue.”