Waitrose has launched its new sustainable packaging trial for its strawberries in a bid to reduce plastic packaging.

The new “Air-Light” punnet packaging is available across Waitrose’s select 400g British strawberry lines and its Duchy 225g organic strawberry line.

The trial, which is running in a select number of stores, removes the bubble wrap and its adhesive used in previous punnets, which will save a total of 16.89 tonnes of plastic over the summer.

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The packaging is now made up of 80 per cent recycled material.

It features a more lightweight and cushioned design to help prevent damage to the product.

“British strawberries are thankfully now in season – meaning a big part of the tradition can still be enjoyed by all, and this further reduction in plastic packaging will help make them taste all the sweeter this summer,” John Lewis Partnership ethics and sustainability director, Marija Rompani said.

The news comes as Waitrose reported an 18 per cent increase in strawberry sales over the bank holiday weekend.