NRDC Criticizes 7-Eleven Banana Packaging

October 12, 2009

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C-store giant 7-Eleven thought it was onto something good when it began testing individual plastic packaging designed to a keep banana yellow and firm for five days, as opposed to brown and turning to mush on the shelf.

After all, “customers want yellow bananas – not brown,” said 7-Eleven CEO Joseph DePinto, according to USA Today.

But the Natural Resources Defense Council has come out against the packaging, which is being tested in 27 Dallas-area locations.

“More plastic packaging is not a sustainable solution,” Jenny Powers, a NRDC spokeswoman, told USA Today.

Powers suggested there should be a better solution than wrapping plastic around “something that comes naturally wrapped in the first place.”

For its part, Fresh Del Monte, which is supplying bananas in the pilot, said it is working on a more sustainable version of the packaging.

The new individual packaging is designed to slow banana respiration by keeping most oxygen and moisture out, extending shelf life from two days to five days. Fresh Del Monte also said that extending banana shelf life cuts carbon emissions by reducing store deliveries.

If the pilot is successful, 7-Eleven may roll the packaging out to its nearly 5,800 stores by early 2010.

The chain sells more than 27 million bananas a year.

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Reader Comments

I wonder how many bananas are currently wasted because they aren’t sold before they go bad. It would be great if 7-11 could be convinced to sell local organic fruits instead. Transporting tropical fruit thousands of miles really isn’t sustainable.

Kirsten@Nexyoo | October 12th, 2009

They don’t grow bananas in most of the world but people enjoy them throughout this great planet. They also are good for you. This position on packaging is absolutely insane. Any company working to reduce food waste should be cheered on rather than this. Ridiculous.

Bryant | October 12th, 2009

Everybody who knows me knows what I am thinking… Are these guys crazy??? Wouldn’t it be great if they’d step into the direction which could make them stand out among these ‘convenience stores’ by doing the right thing, namely ‘greening’ themselves? I guess (although I also have to hope) that another company will soon pick up the slack and get a lot of business from consumers who care.

Heidi Junger | October 13th, 2009

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