Sainsbury's switches to vacuum-sealed packaging for beef mince to cut plastic waste

Sainsbury's has introduced a new vacuum-packed packaging option for its beef mince range, replacing traditional plastic trays and resulting in a reduction of 450 tonnes of plastic per year.

This move, a first for a UK supermarket, will reduce plastic usage by at least 55% per product. The new packaging will be available both in-store and online, with no increase in price for customers.

By removing all oxygen, the vacuum-packed packaging ensures freshness and longer shelf life. The new packaging is smaller in size but contains the same amount of beef mince, which will help customers to use their fridge and freezer space more efficiently.

This initiative is part of Sainsbury's commitment to reduce its own-brand plastic packaging by 50% by 2025. The supermarket chain has also made previous changes such as removing plastic bags for loose fruit and vegetables, black plastic from chilled ready meals, and single-use plastic lids from its own-brand yogurt, crème fraiche, sour cream, cream, cottage cheese, custard, and dip pots. In addition, Sainsbury's has made its own-brand coffee pod range fully recyclable.

Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury's, says: "We know our customers expect us to be reducing the use of plastic across our products are and we're constantly looking for new ways to innovate to meet our Plan for Better plastic reduction targets. We strive to be bold in the changes we are making, which is why we're pleased to be the first UK retailer to vacuum pack all our beef mince range without impacting the quantity or great quality of product that our customers expect. This is the latest in a long line of changes we have pioneered in the space working collaboratively with our suppliers, and customers can expect much more to come from Sainsbury's."

This article was originally published by Sainsbury's.