The retailer is swapping traditional, plastic tray packaging for a vacuum-packed alternative across its fresh lamb mince range, saving 26 tonnes of plastic annually. This follows the success of its vacuum packed beef mince.
The move is the latest initiative from by the retailer in a bid to halve its use of own-brand plastic packaging by 2025.
It also recently revealed it had overhauled the packaging of its in-store bakery products saving 560 tonnes of packaging a year.
While it has also cut the amount of plastic used in its fish and chicken packaging by 70%, saving up to 700 tonnes of material annually.
The new packaging, which will be across all Sainsbury’s fresh lamb mince products, will result in a minimum 65% reduction in plastic per product.
The lamb mince products will be vacuum-packed for freshness, removing all oxygen which typically causes a product to spoil more quickly. The result is that this will increase the life of the current product as well as allowing it to last better in the freezer.
Richard Crampton, director of Fresh Food at Sainsbury’s said: “We know customers want us to reduce plastic packaging and that’s why we’re committed to making bold changes which benefit the environment as well as helping customers to reduce plastic waste at home.
“Once again, we’re the first major supermarket to switch to vacuum packed packaging on a popular product that our customers buy week in, week out. This change more than halves the plastic used in our lamb mince range."
The new packaging will be recyclable in-store at supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s flexible plastic recycling collection points available in all of its supermarkets.
Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s has also unveiled that it is the firstsupermarket to launch conventional mushrooms that have been grown without peat.
The change in mushroom production will reduce peat usage by 20,465 tonnes per year, helping to support the retailer in its goal to reach Net Zero in its supply chain.
