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Do you really need to buy your apples in a hermetically-sealed container? Since when have swedes had to be shrink-wrapped? And why do computer mice come in boxes big enough to hold an elephant?

For this month's Let's Do It' campaign, Sarah Lewis unravels the tangled problem of excess packaging

Having taken possession of a brand new computer, I tempered my eco-guilt by the knowledge LCD screens use less energy than my clunky old CRT monitor.

Alas, however, the boxes my shiny new kit arrived in were littering the living room and, although I could wait until recycling day to get rid of the cardboard, I was unsure what to do with the squeaky polystyrene that held all the bits in place in transit.

Regardless, Dell assures me it is working hard to become the most environmentally-friendly computer company in the world. And despite my tripping over the packaging every time I walk in my living room, Dell's commitment to the issue of over-packaging is impressive, with a 24,000 tonne reduction in packaging achieved in 2006.

Less can be said for Logitech and Microsoft, both of whom, I discover, flog tiny computer mice in boxes big enough to fit elephants into.

The issues of excess packaging are numerous, and with the landfill sites which serve Brighton and Hove set to close in the next few years, the situation is certainly becoming more urgent.

The packaging industry accounts for 3% of the UK's total industry, with annual sales of £10 billion and 85,000 employees. Across the country, 120 million tonnes of packaging waste go to landfill every year, and twothirds of that is the result of supplying food to our homes.

The Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) is a forum for all industrial parts of the packaging chain. It claims its research shows the industry has "no incentive to over-package and has an excellent record on minimisation".

But for many of us, the concrete evidence would suggest otherwise.

A quick trip to any one of the large supermarkets shows a range of inappropriately-packaged vegetables, from shrink-wrapped swedes, to bagged bananas. Did no one notice bananas come in a handy wrapper of their own? Sometimes, as with courgettes, shoppers are presented with the full selection: naked, sealed in a bag or shrink-wrapped on a plastic tray.

The biggest packaging problem, perhaps, is finding a balance between necessity and environmental damage.

Tomatoes, for example, are particularly susceptible to damage in transit, so one has to weigh up losing a large number to damage in the journey from farm to shop, compared with losing much fewer - but having the packaging to dispose of.

Yet, if the naked courgettes made it safely to the veg counter, why did the shrink-wrapped ones need so much extra protection?

Green Party Councillor Paul Steedman serves Queen's Park and recently raised the issue in a meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council's Sustainability Commission.

He says: "I made a proposal which would get the council to run a campaign whereby people could nominate overpackaged products on the market.

"The idea would be a name-and-shame approach. Part of the EU regulations on packaging is a duty for manufacturers not to place overpackaged goods on the market.

"The way legislation is dressed at the moment makes it very difficult to prosecute because the rules say companies must use the minimum packaging necessary to satisfy means of safety... and consumer acceptability'.

"It's unclear what that means. If we name and shame bad examples it will show some products are not acceptable and will give the Trading Standards officer more confidence to bring these cases to court."

A word of advice for anyone planning a wrapping recce to their nearest shop in order to name and shame: the security guards at the Holmbush Tesco were sent into a whirl of hysteria at the sight of a small, curly-haired woman taking a photo of a vacuum-packed swede (pictured above).

And as for their comments about the packaging?

"You'll have to speak to the press office".

The press office have thus far been silent.

Sainsbury's, on the other hand, says it has a target to reduce its waste by 5% a year, has been praised by the Local Government Association for its recyclable packaging, pioneered compostible packing five years ago and is "actively recruiting four packaging technologists who are incentivised to reduce Sainsbury's packaging".

ASDA says it will be the first of the leading supermarkets to remove plastic bags from the end of the checkouts, from June 1, forcing customers to ask if they need one.

And Marks and Spencer's eco-master plan means since 2007 it has removed packaging from more than 250 product lines, saving 1,400 tonnes of waste; reduced the thickness of PET still water bottles, saving more than 160 tonnes of plastic a year; and committed to reducing overall packaging waste by 25%.

Cllr Steedman is not so impressed: "I think it's nice supermarkets are finally talking the talk but we have a long way to go before they are seriously walking the walk.

"It's fine saying 5% here and 10% there but what we need is a radical reduction in packaging right now."

Ten tips to help you avoid excess packaging

Buy fresh food
Fresh fruit and veg is more likely to come loose, so buying these instead of processed food will cut down the packaging you end up buying - plus it's cheaper and healthier.

Look for the labels
Watch out for the recycling sign on your product, or plastics numbered 1, 2 or 3 - these can be recycled. Ready-meal food trays, yoghurt and margarine tubs, and plastic films cannot be recycled with the current facilities in Sussex.

Leave the packaging at the counter
Hold a one-person protest every time you shop by leaving the excess packaging at the check-out after you have paid.

Take your own
If you hoard plastic and paper bags at home, take them with you when you go shopping, not just to carry your goods home at the end, but instead of taking new bags to put your loose veg in.

Vote with your pound
Businesses listen to money, so only purchase goods with environmentally-responsible packaging.

Send it back
If you have bought something and discover layers of unnecessary packaging, send it back to the manufacturer or shop. Use our handy letter below to register your complaints.

Upcycle
Before you bin it, can you use the packaging for anything else? Plastic pots and glass jars make useful storage containers, and bags are always handy. At this time of year, gardeners can press no end of plastic trays into service for raising seeds or using as drip trays under pots. At the very least you can turn large boxes into forts, cars and spaceships - even if you don't have kids.

Donate materials
Have a look around for artists, schools or organisation which might want your old packaging for art projects or any other reason.

Grow your own food
Home-grown veg doesn't need sealing in plastic to make it from the allotment to your kitchen. Even if you don't have time to tend your garden all the time, there are plenty of community allotment projects you can dip in and out of.

Reward good behaviour
As much as we like to complain when things aren't how we want, don't forget congratulating effort works as well. If you see a shop or organisation has made an effort, let them know you have noticed and maybe say "thank you".

Use this letter to complain about over-packaged items (with thanks to the Take It Back campaign)

To: Customer Services
(Name of store)
(Address of store)
(Date)
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to complain about the non-recyclable/non-biodegradable packaging used on products sold in your store.
I enclose packaging from products I recently purchased from you, which can only be land-filled or incinerated, as no recycling facility is available for them.
Due to increasing depletion of the world's natural resources, it is essential we work towards zero waste, rather than creating waste and then burying it or burning it. I believe there are many ways your company can contribute towards this. For example:
Work with your suppliers to use compostable and recyclable materials for packaging.
Sell fruit and veg loose, providing recycled paper bags for customers to put their selection into.
Use minimal packaging and ban double wrapping, such as on special offers.
Charge for carrier bags to encourage people to re-use.
I will be interested to hear your response to my comments and to find out what policies you have in place on this matter.
Regards,
(Your name)
(Your address)

3:18pm Tuesday 6th May 2008

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