Bag salads: are they really ecological?

Sachet salads represent a real commercial success despite their high price. Their convenience is plebisicted. “If we are in a hurry, it saves time”admits a woman. The lettuces are harvested in the open field in France by 450 market gardeners. But in winter, they come from Spain or Italy. When imported, they are carefully examined and sorted. 100% waste is recycled. They will serve as compost or food for animals.

The lettuces are then washed with slightly chlorinated water to remove soil and bacteria. It needs “between 8 and 12 liters of water”says Peter Melietpresident of the union of manufacturers of ready-to-use vegetable products. “If you wash salad three times (at home), you’ll probably eat more than that”he continues. The salads are packed in plastic bags, which are difficult to recycle. “The salad in bags has about 13 to 14% more environmental impact compared to a salad in bulk”underlines François Martin, co-founder of the application Yuka.