In order to find alternatives for reduction, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Irish government have examined the usage of single-use packaging in fruit and vegetable product sales.

The study suggests that in certain cases, loose product may be preferred over non-essential primary packaging. Additionally, by enabling customers to buy precisely what they need, this strategy may lessen food waste in households.

However, because of their great perishability or fragility, not all fruits and vegetables are suitable for loose sale.

Stakeholders in the industry have also pointed out that the possible business impact of customers buying less or going to stores that sell pre-packaged fruit could mean that retailers have little to no motivation to move from pre-packaged to loose produce.

The EPA lists consumer-level re-use as a feasible alternative. In a complimentary strategy to loose produce, customers would gather loose produce at the point of sale using reusable packaging. Many Irish stores have already started to use this.

Making sure there are adequate amounts of reuse and getting the user to put in the extra time and effort needed are potential obstacles to this.