Sainsbury’s switches to cardboard trays for chicken and fish to cut plastic by 70%

Sainsbury’s is set to significantly reduce plastic waste by introducing kerbside recyclable cardboard trays for its own-brand chicken and fish products. This move is expected to save 694 tonnes of plastic each year. The new packaging, made from sugarcane pulp and lined with polyethylene film, will replace conventional plastic trays for all own-brand salmon fillets, cutting plastic use by 70% and saving 346 tonnes annually.

Additionally, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference and by Sainsbury’s breaded chicken lines, as well as its Taste the Difference breaded fish fillets, will transition to cardboard trays, saving 300 and 48 tonnes of plastic annually, respectively. These trays are compatible with kerbside recycling, allowing consumers to recycle them at home easily.

Sainsbury’s plans to extend the new packaging to its seasonal chicken products, including breaded goujons, nuggets, schnitzels, and other items in its finger food and BBQ range throughout the summer. Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s, emphasised the retailer’s commitment to reducing plastic and achieving sustainability goals.

To promote this initiative, Sainsbury’s has introduced a “Good to Know” logo on the new packaging, guiding consumers toward products with reduced plastic packaging. This step aligns with broader efforts in the retail industry to tackle plastic waste, such as Tesco’s trial of recyclable cardboard containers for avocados, which could save up to 25 million plastic trays if fully implemented.