A UK supermarket is launching a new pasta range – and is ingeniously turning the resultant food waste into packaging for that very product.
Waitrose will start selling two new gluten free fusilli pastas from Monday 1 August, one of which is made entirely from green peas and the other from red lentils.
Those peas and pulses which don’t make the grade during the production, are used to help create the box in which the pasta comes, instead of being discarded.
An environmentally friendly packaging, made from 15% food waste, reduces the use of virgin tree pulp by 15% and lowers greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.
The result is a box which can be in direct contact with the pasta, eliminating the need for an inner sleeve within the pack. The pasta box is also 100% recyclable.
Jo Heywood, Waitrose Pasta Buyer says: “Pasta is such a staple product for many families, so it’s exciting to be offering our customers a pasta with a twist, both nutritionally and environmentally.
“We’re always looking at ways to cut down on our packaging, use more sustainable materials and reduce our food waste, so we’re pleased to be working towards all three of these targets with this new launch.”
Both pastas will be available from Monday 1st August, at £1.99 for a 250g pack, as part of the Waitrose LoveLife range.
Heywood added: “They work perfectly in any favourite pasta recipe and are also great in salads - just rinse under cold running water after cooking and drain before mixing with other salad ingredients and dressing.”