Sainsbury’s has become the first UK retailer to switch from plastic to paper packaging across its entire own-brand toilet paper and kitchen towel ranges.
The grocer said the move will save 485 tonnes of plastic, equivalent to over 55 million pieces of plastic annually, marking the biggest plastics reduction it has made in its grocery business so far.
The new packaging will launch across 27 products, with customers starting to see the change in store and online this week. The paper packaging will have rolled out to all lines by February 2024 and can easily be recycled at home through kerbside recycling.
The packaging switch follows the introduction of double-length toilet rolls in Sainsbury’s last year. The multipack rolls include double the number of sheets on each roll, reducing plastic packaging by 30%, and saving 84 tonnes of plastic each year.
Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s, said: “We sell thousands of our own brand toilet tissue and kitchen roll products every week and by switching from plastic to paper on these household staples, we’re able to make a significant impact in reducing plastic. This change alone represents the biggest plastic reduction in our grocery products so far and our customers can expect many more changes to come. Collaborating with our suppliers to develop innovative packaging solutions to reduce plastic is a major key priority for Sainsbury’s, helping us to achieve our ambitious target of increasing recycled content and recyclability.”
