Sainsbury’s Initiates Environmental Change with Crownless Pineapples to Tackle Waste

Sainsbury’s has unveiled a unique move to diminish waste by introducing crownless pineapples, becoming the only major supermarket chain to offer this innovative product.

These crownless pineapples, essentially traditional pineapples with their green leaves removed, will hit Sainsbury’s shelves from Wednesday 1st November, available both in-store and online. This novel product will be conveniently ready to eat upon purchase, eliminating the need for customers to ripen the fruit at home.

Recognising that customers often discard the crown of a pineapple, Sainsbury’s has taken a significant step by removing it during the production process. This initiative aims to assist customers in reducing food-related waste.

The removed pineapple crowns will either be replanted in pineapple fields or repurposed as animal feed for local farmers, resulting in a remarkable annual waste reduction of 700 tonnes.

Additionally, by eliminating the crown during production, Sainsbury’s can optimise space within the shipping boxes, leading to a reduction of 2,500 boxes transported per year.

In further strides towards waste reduction, Sainsbury’s will also do away with all previous packaging attached to the standard-size pineapple, further curtailing the waste typically discarded by customers at home.

Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s, expressed the company’s commitment to sustainability, stating, “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.”

Hughes further added, “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.”