The anti-plastic movement in Europe is continuing to gather steam, with a major U.K. supermarket chain announcing it is going to trial removing plastic from produce in some of its stores. 

Morrisons recently announced measures to reduce plastic pollution, pledging that by no later than 2025 all of its own-brand plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable.

The chain holds the fourth-largest share of the British grocery market, behind Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda - the latter two of which recently announced a tie-up.

Morrisons will also be one of the signatories to WRAP’s UK Plastics PACT, an industry initiative which aims to transform the way businesses use plastic and prevent plastics polluting the environment.

The company said that as part of its new measures it will trial "the effect of removing plastic packaging from fruit and vegetables in a number of stores."

"The aim is to look at how plastic packaging, which keeps food fresh, can be reduced without increasing food waste," it said.

It added that it is taking action as its own research says that plastic reduction is now the third most important issue to Morrisons customers.

"Currently 82 percent of the plastic by weight in the supermarket's packaging is recyclable. To achieve the 100 percent target, it will be collaborating with suppliers, other retailers, local authorities and WRAP," it said.

In January this year, the supermarket chain Iceland committed to eliminating all plastic packaging for its own brand products, aiming to achieve the feat by 2023.

In March, Dutch supermarket chain Ekoplaza opened what it says is the world’s first plastic-free aisle one of its Amsterdam stores. The aisle contained 680 plastic-free organic food and beverage products in a special section.

This week, the European Commission proposed banning single-use plastic products such as cotton buds and plastic straws and putting the burden of cleaning up waste on manufacturers in an effort to reduce marine litter.

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