Sainsbury's is to trial a new scheme enabling customers to 'pre-cycle' unwanted packaging in store, giving shoppers the option to leave it at the supermarket to be recycled instead of taking it home.
This new initiative sees Sainsbury's get serious about plastic waste as it aims to cut back on pointless packaging across all of its UK stores. The pre-cycle scheme will be trialled in certain stores later this year.
The British supermarket has said that it will also remove all plastic from its sweetheart and savoy cabbages, cutting an additional 100 tonnes of unnecessary waste over the next year.
Continuing to make a bold commitment, they will also replace all fruit and vegetable packaging with recycled alternatives by the end of 2020. Plus, this Christmas, they will remove all plastic packaging from their crackers, switching to planet-friendly alternatives.
Elsewhere, Sainsbury's will also end the use of dark coloured plastics (those which are difficult to recycle) across fresh foods by 2019 and entirely by 2020.
'We are serious about reducing plastic. For many years, Sainsbury’s has prioritised sustainability and sought innovative solutions to reduce plastic packaging and increase recycling. Today’s announcements show what we have already achieved and demonstrate our firm commitments for the future to make significant reductions in plastic use,' explains Mike Coupe, CEO at Sainsbury's explains.
In other news, Sainsbury's have already implemented measures which have led to the reduction of 8,101 tonnes of non-recyclable packaging every year. Back in 2013, the supermarket giant was the first to ban micro-beads, while also introducing water bottles with 25 per cent recyclable content.
Sainsbury's has already removed:
- 77 tonnes of plastic sleeves from greeting cards
- 50 tonnes of plastic stems from cotton buds
- 37 tonnes of plastic straws
- 14 tonnes of plastic cups and cutlery from all store offices and their head office
- 131 tonnes of plastic packaging from cauliflowers, organic bananas, easy-peeler citrus fruit, brassicas and tomatoes
Lisa Joyner is the Deputy Daily Editor at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she's busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for Conde Nast Traveller, House & Garden and Marie Claire magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.
