Morrisons is making a major change at stores in UK supermarket first – see the full list of impacted branches

MORRISONS has made a major change across a number of its stores in a UK supermarket first.

The retailer has increased the temperature of its freezers from -18°C to -15°C across 10 branches as part of a trial to reduce energy use.

PA

Morrisons is increasing the temperature on freezers across 10 stores as part of a trial[/caption]

It is understood there are plans for a wider roll-out based on a review of the trial, which Morrisons claims is a UK supermarket first.

The chain said the carbon savings it will make by upping the temperature of its freezers will help it achieve net zero by 2035.

Ruth McDonald, Morrison group corporate services director, said: “Industry standards today are based on safety, science or convenience.

“The standard temperature for the storage and transport of frozen food today looks like it is simply a convention from nearly 100 years ago.

“We now have vastly better freezers and modern technology and monitoring that gives us a precise picture of frozen food temperatures throughout the supply chain.”

Ms McDonald also told the BBC Morrisons increasing the temperatures of its freezers would lead to price reductions across stores.

Meanwhile, Morrisons said food bought from the freezers will still be safe to eat.

Thomas Eskesen, chairman of the Move to -15°C Coalition – a group that campaigns on the issue – said: “In order for us to be successful with making the change to -15°C, it is essential that we have representatives and support from every stage of the frozen food supply chain, so to have a large UK retailer like Morrisons on board is an important step forward for us.

“By raising the temperature of its freezers in 10 of its stores across the UK, Morrisons is demonstrating that change is possible, and we know that this seemingly small change can lead to a significant, positive, environmental impact.”

Morrisons has exclusively revealed to The Sun the list of 10 supermarkets that have increased the temperatures of their freezers to -15°C.

• Wellingborough, Oxford Street – Midlands
• Castle Bromwich, Hurst Lane – Midlands
• Whitley Bay, Hillheads Rd – North East
• Glasgow, Baillieston – Scotland
• Newcastle, Great Park – North East
• Maidstone, Sutton Road – Kent
• Airdrie, Gartlea Road – Scotland
• Gloucester, Metz Way – South West
• Bradford, Thornbury – Yorkshire
• Liverpool, Belle Vale – Merseyside

It comes after Morrisons scrapped use-by dates on 90% of its own brand milk in early 2022.

The retailer said it made the move in a bid to reduce food waste with millions of pints thrown away every year

Marks and Spencer has since followed, announcing it would drop the labels in June last year.

A number of other supermarkets have ditched coloured milk bottle lids in a bid to reduce plastic wastage and help the environment too.

Tesco announced last summer it would be removing coloured caps from 425million bottles of milk, which would see an extra 3,900 tonnes of plastic recycled.

The UK’s largest supermarket joined Lidl, Asda, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s in making the move.

In January this year, Sainsbury’s announced it would be ditching plastic punnets across three of its mushroom products.

It came after the retailer switched the packaging on all of its own-brand toilet and kitchen rolls from plastic to paper last September.

In 2020, it removed plastic trays from its tomatoes and the year before on asparagus.

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