J Sainsbury : Sainsbury’s launches in store ‘Banana Rescue’ stations, giving new a-peel to bin-bound fruit

While the average Briton enjoys three bananas a week and a fifth (20%) eats one every day, a third (30%) still admit to binning one if it has even a minor bruise, or a black mark on the skin. More than one in 10 (13%) will also discard a banana if it shows any green on the skin.

Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability, Engineering, Energy & Environment for Sainsbury's said: 'The quest for a perfectly a-peeling banana is resulting in waste that could be avoided. To help customers waste less food and save more money, we've launched pop-up 'Banana Rescue' stations in our stores.

'There, shoppers will find recipe inspiration - including our very own tried and tested recipe for home-made banana bread - as well as everything they need to help make their own loaves, including mixing bowls, blenders, baking tins and storage solutions.'

The move is part of the supermarket's £10million Waste less, Save more initiative, and the pop-up plinths are currently live across over 500 stores nationwide.

In a bid to help customers consider other ways to use their flawed bananas, Sainsbury's has unpicked the nation's banana behaviours. New research has found that a quarter of us (25%) prefer to eat a banana as a quick and healthy snack, while a fifth regularly have one Monday to Friday in our lunchboxes.

Sixteen per cent of banana eaters enjoy them at breakfast and just under one in 10 will have a banana pre or post exercise (8%), make banana smoothies (8%) and use them in desserts (7%).

The news comes as Sainsbury's announces that it's in store banana bread trial - which sees unsold fruits used by the in store bakery teams - has been extended to 110 stores nationwide. Originally trialled in seven stores last year, in line with of the supermarket's Waste less, Save more campaign, the range has also been extended to include a choc chip flavour.

Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability, Engineering, Energy & Environment for Sainsbury's concludes: 'While we're pleased with the success of the in-store trial, we're determined to help shoppers reduce the number of bananas going to waste at home too.

'Sixty one percent of Britons admit they never use otherwise discarded bananas in baking, so to inspire customers to use their fruit in different ways, we've created an area in store dedicated to get Britain baking with bananas! There's no need to bin the bruised ones anymore.

For recipes and waste-busting, money saving tips, visit https://wastelesssavemore.sainsburys.co.uk.

For animated tips on how to make your food go further - including how to store your bananas to prevent waste - click on to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL02bl8o23M