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Sainsbury's cuts plastic from packaging in environmental revolution

September 8, 2006

*MOVE WILL SAVE ALMOST FOUR THOUSAND TONNES OF PLASTIC EVERY YEAR *
*PACKAGING STOPS HOUSEHOLD WASTE FROM GOING TO LANDFILL *

An environmental revolution in packaging was signalled today by Sainsbury’s, in the biggest ever initiative to eliminate plastics from Britain’s High Streets. The move will save 4,010 thousand tonnes of fossil fuel (3,550 tonnes of plastic) from Sainsbury’s output alone every year, as well as reducing rubbish collected for landfill.  

150 million plastic trays and bags on Sainsbury’s ready meals and organic food will disappear every year under a plan to replace these with ‘compostable packaging’, the friendliest form of packaging for the environment according to the Women’s Institute.

In making the announcement, Justin King, Sainsbury’s Chief Executive, laid down a two-pronged challenge to both other retailers and Government: “Our customers tell us that food packaging is extremely important to them and can determine what they buy, so our packaging team has been looking at ways to address these concerns.

“We have already reduced excessive packaging on our Easter eggs, as well as making more things recyclable. We’re now confident that putting 500 types of our food, from ready meals to organics, in compostable packaging will significantly help to reduce the packaging that most threatens the environment. It also creates an opportunity for customers to dispose of their own waste at home.

King continued; “In some cases, for example on our organic tomatoes, absolutely everything can be composted at home – from the film and tray that keeps the tomatoes from being damaged, to the tomato vines. In tests, most of the compostable packaging will break down quicker than a banana skin, yet it takes many years for degradable packaging or carrier bags to do the same.

“We urge the Government to ensure that every home in Britain has a compost bin. We also support other retailers in putting more of their food in this packaging so that it becomes the norm. It would be positive to think that in the near future, customers can halve their household waste by composting, as well as contributing to tackling major environmental issues.” 

How Compostable Packaging works:

Instead of plastic, the packaging will be replaced by the use of maize, sugar-cane or starch packaging. This means it can naturally break down in a garden compost heap, eradicating the need for packaging to be binned or bagged and sent to landfill.

Compostable packaging was first pioneered by Sainsbury’s in 2002, and has recently been further trialled on a small range of Sainsbury’s organic apples, tomatoes and potatoes. Now over 500 food items will move to compostable packaging, which is recognised as the preferred form of necessary packaging by the Women's Institute.

What to look out for:

• Sainsbury’s SO organic fruit and vegetables. Almost 50% of organic fruit and vegetables will be available in compostable packaging from this week. 80% by Jan 2007.(Included 15% recyclable).
• All of Sainsbury’s Ready Meals by Sept 2007.
• Organic sausages and organic whole bird – by October 2007.

Sainsbury’s has produced packaging guidelines for its suppliers so that more food is packaged in compostable or recyclable material. From this month, Sainsbury’s will also be making packaging guidelines much clearer on food labels, e.g. ‘Sorry, not recyclable’ or ‘Please recycle’ to make it much clearer to customers what they can do to recycle or compost.

The move by Sainsbury’s coincides with one in three compost bins that now exist in UK homes.

Editor’s Notes:

Sainsbury’s Packaging Highlights:

• Sainsbury’s is committed to reducing the packaging it uses on its food, as well as using more environmentally-friendly materials. Compostable or recyclable materials being the preferred materials.
• Sainsbury’s pioneered compostable packaging in 2002 and is the single largest user of compostable packaging in Europe.
• From Sept 2006, Sainsbury’s will be the first retailer to put over 500 lines in compostable packaging, including market ‘firsts’ for organic bagged produce, and organic meat products.
• Before Sept 2006, Sainsbury’s had been trialling fully compostable, non-GM wrap on a number of its organic produce lines, recent trials include apples and potatoes.

This includes the use of:

• Home compostable sugar cane trays
• Compostable PLA punnets, (we are the only retailer to pursue a non GM policy for PLA)
• Home compostable flow wrap films
• Home compostable labels
• Home compostable netting

(All made from sustainable / renewable resources -  non petroleum.)

• For Easter 2006, Sainsbury’s further reduced the amount of waste packaging used on our own brand Easter eggs by 40% compared to 2004.
• Sainsbury’s is now printing more messages on our food packaging to explain what customers can do to recycle/compost, e.g. ‘Sorry, not recyclable’ or ‘Please recycle’ to make it much clearer to customers what they can do to recycle or home-compost.
• Sainsbury’s is a member of INCPEN (The Industry Council for Packaging & the Environment).
• Sainsbury’s sells more loose fruit and vegetables than any other retailer. 70% compared to TESCO (50%) and ASDA (40%) (Source: The Evening Standard 14 June 2006)
• Where Sainsbury’s cannot use compostable material, it uses recyclable. Recent examples include:
• Where Sainsbury’s cannot use compostable material, it uses recyclable. Recent examples include snack salads, deli salads, prepared fruit, saving a further 616 tonnes of plastic.
  

To find out more about home composting, how to get a compost bin and order one online, and find out if there is a subsidised scheme running in your area, please visit the Recycle now website.

A selection of images of compostable packaging available – please contact:
 

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