This week, Sainsbury’s has taken another important step in its effort to reduce waste by introducing crownless pineapples, a unique addition to their product lineup. The only place to buy this kind of innovative option is at Sainsbury’s among the major supermarkets in the UK.
Starting from Wednesday, November 1st, shoppers at Sainsbury’s will be able to purchase these pineapples which have been stripped of their crowns. These are available both online and in physical stores and they come ready for consumption since they are perfectly ripe; thus it saves the customer time of ripening them at home.
The crown of a pineapple is typically thrown away by consumers when they either want to eat or cook with it. By proactively removing these crowns during the production process, Sainsbury’s is taking a proactive stance to help customers minimize food-related waste. This move has many facets: the removed crowns will either be replanted into pineapple fields thereby contributing towards sustainable growth of the fruit or be transformed into animal feed hence reducing waste by a considerable 700 tonnes every year.
Sainsbury’s also intends on making its packaging more efficient. Packaging will no longer accompany standard-sized pineapples as per this company policy; thus customers would generate less domestic refuse. Being eco-conscious about food wastage as well as sustainability are some of reasons that influenced such kind decision on packaging by Sainsbury’s.
Furthermore, there are benefits associated with elimination of pineapple crowns during production activities. Therefore for each box being transported to their stores, they can now fit more crownless pineapples leading to an impressive cut down on an annual shipment volume equivalent to 2,500 boxes. This helps in saving resources while reducing carbon footprint associated with transportation.
Sainsbury’s ensures that choice remains with consumers. Additionally, aside from the crownless option, they will still have large pineapples with leaves on them for those who may prefer that.
As said by Claire Hughes, Sainsbury’s Director of Product and Innovation, “We’re passionate about reducing our impact on the planet wherever we can, and we’re always looking for new and unique ways to make bold changes with sustainability in mind. Our new crownless pineapples may look a little out of the ordinary, but they offer very clear benefits in reducing waste and packaging. We hope that our customers will embrace the change with the knowledge that this quirky fruit is helping us to repurpose waste within our supply chain, as well as helping to reduce waste in their homes too.”
This initiative is one of the many efforts that Sainsbury has been making to innovate and provide solutions on food waste not only within its organization but also within its customers’ households. For instance, Sainsbury’s recently announced a move away from “use-by” dates to “best before” dates for own-brand milk range which affects over 730 million pints sold each year by Sainsbury’s.
One important aspect of this program involving crownless pineapples is how these crowns are managed responsibly after being removed. Therefore between 25% -50% of such crowns can be replanted into pineapple fields hence guaranteeing sustainable supply chains. When these crowns are unsuitable for replanting due to size or damage; then they will all be recycled as animal feeds thereby minimizing wastage and ensuring environmental conservation in line with sustainable development objectives.
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