Sainsbury’s has taken a bold new step in its commitment to sustainable packaging. The supermarket chain is set to remove 140 tonnes of plastic from its whole chicken range by offering trayless products that use up to 50% less plastic. These products will be available in all UK stores and online, affecting five product lines including chicken ranging in size from extra-small to extra-large. The film packaging can be recycled at Sainsbury’s front-of-store plastic recycling points.
This move is part of Sainsbury’s wider sustainability initiatives, which includes the goal of halving its own-brand plastic packaging by 2025. This follows a recent decision in February to replace traditional plastic tray packaging in its beef mince range with a vacuum-packed alternative. This move alone will save 450 tonnes of plastic each year. Additionally, last month, Sainsbury’s removed single-use plastic lids from its own-branded dip pots.
In addition to these packaging initiatives, Sainsbury’s has also made improvements to its chicken welfare standards. It has moved all its fresh and frozen own-brand chicken to a lower stocking density, providing chickens with 20% more space than the Red Tractor UK industry standard.
Other food manufacturers are also implementing sustainable packaging initiatives. For example, The Weetabix Company has switched to 100% recyclable packaging for all its products, with all paper-based packaging components and drink bottles now widely recyclable at home. Meanwhile, in light of Global Recycling Day, the attention has turned to plastic packaging and the challenges involved in removing virgin plastics from food packaging.
