Sainsbury’s is swapping traditional plastic tray packaging for a new vacuum-packed alternative across its beef mince range. The supermarket-first will result in a minimum 55% reduction in plastic per product, saving around 450 tonnes of plastic annually.
The revamped packaging has started rolling out across all Sainsbury’s beef mince products, with product quantities remaining the same. The retailer noted that the vacuum-packing process removes all the oxygen, which typically causes a product to eventually spoil.
The move is the latest in a string of changes made by the retailer in a bid to halve its use of own-brand plastic packaging by 2025.
Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s, said: “We know our customers expect us to be reducing the use of plastic across our products are and we’re constantly looking for new ways to innovate to meet our Plan for Better plastic reduction targets. We strive to be bold in the changes we are making, which is why we’re pleased to be the first UK retailer to vacuum pack all our beef mince range without impacting the quantity or great quality of product that our customers expect.
“This is the latest in a long line of changes we have pioneered in the space working collaboratively with our suppliers, and customers can expect much more to come from Sainsbury’s.”
