An estimated one million bananas are binned by UK households every day because they have gone off
Tesco is shaking up the way it sells bananas in-store, aiming to extend their shelf life and reduce food waste.
Brits are chucking out around a million bananas daily, as the fruit tends to go off fast.
The supermarket behemoth has revealed that customers will soon find more green bananas on its shelves, taking longer to ripen and thereby cutting down on waste.
Bananas are a favourite choice amongst UK consumers but often end up in the bin because they ripen too quickly; however, Tesco’s initiative promises to add about four more days of freshness.
This shift in banana sales strategy is in response to the nation’s growing appetite for the fruit, with purchasing figures showing a 2.6 per cent increase over the last year, in a market worth £674 million, based on Kantar Worldpanel Data (March 2025), reports the Express.
Tesco’s banana buyer, Dan Bentley, commented on the fruit’s surge in popularity, which saw a sale of nearly 15 million more bananas compared to the previous year.
Bentley said, “Bananas have never been more popular on account of their nutritional qualities and versatility in cooking, baking and in making smoothies and milkshakes.”
And he highlighted the unfortunate reality of their quick ripening, stating, “But unfortunately we know that bananas can ripen quickly so we hope that by offering customers an added longer shelf-life option it will allow them to buy accordingly for the week ahead and hopefully help them cut down on wastage at home.”
The supermarket giant conducted a survey to understand the banana buying habits and preferences of its customers.
- The survey revealed that most shoppers purchase one bunch at a time, especially those shopping online.
- Customers typically consume one banana per day and expect their bunches to last them at least five days.
- Those who buy single bananas prefer medium ripe ones, while those who buy multiple bunches are motivated by freshness and therefore plan ahead and purchase a range of colours.
- Overall, online shoppers would prefer their bananas to be greener than they currently receive.
Bananas have long been a staple in shopping baskets, alongside milk and bread, and are among the most commonly purchased foods in the UK.
In 2009, Tesco became the first UK retailer to change the way this fruit is sold in an effort to combat food waste.
One of the major issues affecting the sale of bananas is their tendency to bruise easily when handled, leading to tens of thousands of pounds in wastage costs each year.
However, in an attempt to keep bananas in their optimum condition, Tesco has placed them in a specially designed ‘hammock’ fixture that helps prevent bruising.
The ‘ripen at home’ bananas will be sold in a pack held together by an adhesive band clearly stating what they are. They will be priced at 78p for five bananas, the same price Tesco charges for ripe bananas.
