Shoppers in the UK will now have more choice when buying bananas, thanks to a new initiative by Tesco aimed at reducing household food waste.
Bananas are among the most popular items purchased at UK supermarkets, but they’re also one of the most wasted—ripening quickly and often being discarded, FreshPlaza informs. According to the latest available data, UK households throw away one million bananas every day.
Tesco hopes to address this issue by adding ‘ripen at home’ bananas to its product range. These bananas will offer customers greater flexibility by providing an additional shelf life of approximately four days, helping them better plan their weekly consumption.
This launch comes amid high demand for bananas in the UK, with around four billion sold over the last year—an increase of 2.6% compared to the previous year. The market is now worth £674 million, according to Kantar Worldpanel data (March 2025).
Tesco banana buyer Dan Bentley commented: “Bananas have never been more popular due to their nutritional benefits and versatility in cooking, baking, and smoothies. In the last year, we’ve seen demand soar, with nearly 15 million more bananas sold than the previous year.
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But because they ripen so quickly, we hope this longer shelf-life option will allow customers to plan better and reduce food waste at home.”
The decision follows a survey conducted by Tesco to better understand customer preferences and banana buying habits. The survey revealed that most shoppers purchase one bunch at a time, particularly those who shop online. Many customers eat one banana per day and expect that a bunch should last at least five days. Those who buy single-colour bananas tend to prefer medium-ripe ones, while shoppers who buy multiple bunches are motivated by freshness and often plan by selecting bananas in a range of ripeness levels. Additionally, online shoppers generally expressed a preference for greener bananas than what they currently receive.
Bananas, along with milk and bread, have long been staples in UK households. In 2009, Tesco became the first UK retailer to take action against banana waste by redesigning displays. The supermarket introduced an easier-access ‘hammock’ fixture to reduce bruising, a common cause of fruit wastage.
The new ‘ripen at home’ bananas will be sold in a pack of five, held together by an adhesive band clearly labelling the product. They will be priced at 78p—identical to the cost of Tesco’s ripe banana packs.
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