M&S has removed a further two million units of plastic by introducing new widely recyclable packaging for mushrooms and organic blueberries.

The changes contribute to the removal of over 80 million units of plastic across key produce lines and the removal of over 400 million units of plastic from the retailer’s foodhalls to date.

M&S organic blueberries are now available in paper board punnets that will remove an estimated one million plastic trays from its berries category.

The grocer is also rolling out a trial on its chestnut mushrooms, transferring them to a top seal board punnet replacing hard to recycle units of flexible plastic that still preserves the freshness of the produce.

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If successful, M&S expects to roll the change out to all mushroom lines over the coming months.

M&S Food head of packaging Karen Graley said: “We’re committed to doing the right thing by reducing plastic at scale and finding new ways to package produce has helped us remove over 80m units of plastic from our supply chain. By offering easier to recycle packaging, we’re helping make it easier for customers to make more sustainable choices.”

Last year, M&S met its target to remove 75 million units of plastic in 2023/24, four months earlier than planned.

The retailer has since committed to remove one billion units by the end of 2027/28 as part of its Plan A roadmap to net zero by 2040.