Sainsbury’s is the first shop in the UK to vacuum-package all beef mince, 450 tonnes of plastic are saved annually.
Sainsbury’s has stated that it will substitute vacuum-packed beef mince for the usual plastic tray packaging across the entire range of its products.
The package format is the most recent in a line of measures from the company as it strives to cut its usage of plastic packaging in Own Brand products in half by 2025. It uses at least 55% less plastic.
Sainsbury’s has stated that it will replace the conventional plastic tray packaging for its beef mince products with a new vacuum-packed alternative, 450 tonnes of plastic yearly.
The new packaging, a supermarket first, will reduce the amount of plastic used to make each product by at least 55%. All of Sainsbury’s beef mince products, which can now be purchased for as little as £1.99 for 500g, will be affected by the move. Beginning today, customers can buy beef mince in the updated package both in-person and online.
In order to keep the beef mince products fresh, all oxygen will be removed during vacuum packaging, which usually results in a product spoiling over time. The new container will still contain the same amount of beef mince, but because it is smaller, it will take up less room in customers’ refrigerators and freezers.
The modification is the latest in a series of adjustments the store has made in an effort to reduce the amount of own-brand plastic packaging it uses by half by 2025. In 2019, Sainsbury’s became the first supermarket chain in the UK to do away with plastic bags from all of its stores for loose fruit, vegetables, and bakery items. It was also the first to do away with all black plastic from chilled ready meals.
More recently, Sainsbury’s announced that all of their own-brand containers of yoghurt, crème fraiche, sour cream, cream, cottage cheese, custard, and dip will no longer come with single-use plastic lids, saving 71 million pieces of plastic annually. Although Sainsbury’s made its own-brand coffee pod line 100% recyclable back in September.
“We know how environmentally concerned our customers are, and we’re continuously searching for new ways to innovate to meet our aims,” says Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s. We want to make significant improvements, so we’re happy to be the first UK merchant to vacuum-pack the entire line of beef mince.
We are aware of the importance of continuing to provide customers with high-quality, affordable items while simultaneously making every effort to use less plastic packaging. Customers can anticipate much more innovation from Sainsbury’s in the future. This is only the most recent in a long series of innovations we have pioneered in the market.
