Sainsbury’s has introduced a new initiative to reduce plastic waste by revamping the packaging of its fish and chicken products, achieving a significant reduction in plastic use. This is set to save around 694 tonnes of plastic a year, a figure the company has noted as equal to the weight of 100 elephants.
The supermarket giant has introduced pulp trays for all its salmon and trout products, marking a UK first in using this sustainable packaging solution. These trays, made from pulp cardboard instead of plastic, reduce plastic usage by 70%, translating to an annual saving of 346 tonnes of plastic.
In a similar vein, Sainsbury’s has replaced plastic trays with cardboard alternatives across its fresh breaded chicken and Taste the Difference breaded fish lines. This change is set to cut an additional 348 tonnes of plastic per year from its packaging. The initiative is part of Sainsbury’s broader commitment to increase recyclability and reduce its plastic footprint, aligning with its Plan for Better goals.
Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s, emphasized the importance of this shift, particularly for salmon, one of the retailer’s most popular products. “We are now the first retailer to make the move to have recycled pulp card trays across all our bySainsbury’s and Taste the Difference salmon products, enabling a whopping 70% plastic reduction,” Hughes stated.
Sainsbury’s: Reducing plastic usage by 70%
The transition to more sustainable packaging will continue throughout the summer across Sainsbury’s seasonal chicken favorites, including items for summer hosting such as breaded goujons, nuggets, and schnitzels. These products will now come in easily recyclable cardboard trays, helping customers to further reduce their household waste through convenient kerbside recycling.
To aid customers in identifying these environmentally friendlier options, Sainsbury’s has introduced the ‘Good to Know’ logo. This new labeling is part of an effort to communicate the retailer’s sustainability initiatives clearly to consumers, particularly those regarding reduced plastic packaging.
This initiative is the latest in a series of actions by Sainsbury’s aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its own-brand products. Earlier measures include replacing plastic steak trays with cardboard alternatives and swapping plastic punnets for cardboard in all its own-brand mushrooms, which alone results in over 775 tonnes of plastic saved annually.
Through these innovative packaging solutions and ongoing sustainability efforts, Sainsbury’s continues to lead by example in the retail sector, significantly reducing its plastic waste and supporting its customers in making more sustainable choices.
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