Sainsbury’s is switching to cardboard punnets for its own-brand mushroom SKUs, in a move that it says will eliminate the use of over 775 tonnes of plastic annually.
The saved plastic is equivalent to the weight of 43 full London double-decker buses, the UK retailer noted, adding that the initiative was the 'biggest ever' single-use plastics removal in its history.
Sainsbury’s expects to complete the rollout to all 13 own-brand ranges, including whole baby button, closed cup, organic and chestnut mushroom SKUs by the end of this month.
The initiative will help customers to recycle the packaging easily at home, the company noted.
The retailer's private-label mushrooms under the Sainsbury’s and SO Organic brands have already completed the switch to cardboard punnets, while the Taste the Difference range will complete the transition by the end of January.
'A Collective Effort'
Claire Hughes, director of product and innovation said, “Making a collective effort with suppliers to increase recycled content and recyclability for all customers has helped achieve our biggest ever plastics removal so far.
“The initiative reflects our commitment towards a healthier and more sustainable future as we continue to look at ways to innovate our packaging and reduce and replace plastic where possible.”
The film packaging in the product can be recycled at Sainsbury’s front-of-store flexible plastics recycling points, the company added.
Other Initiatives
The initiative is the latest in a string of changes made by the retailer on packaging.
Recently, it removed single-use plastics from all own-brand toilet and kitchen roll SKUs, saving around 485 tonnes of plastic annually.
The supermarket chain also removed plastic trays from its tomatoes in 2020, saving around 75 tonnes of plastic a year; and asparagus in 2019, saving around 32 tonnes of plastic a year.
