The switch will result in a minimum 55% reduction of plastic per product and will be made across all of the retailer’s beef mince products from today (22 February). The packaging process will remove all oxygen from the product, helping to extend the shelf life and shrink shelf space while containing the same amount of beef mince.
Sainsbury’s move to less packaging in its mince range followed a string of changes by the retailer in a bid to halve its use of own-label plastic packaging by 2026.
Single use plastics out
Most recently, Sainsbury’s announced the removal of single-use plastic lids from its own-label yoghurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, cream, custard, crème fraiche and dip pots – an estimated saving of 71 million pieces of plastic per year.
Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s, said: “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.
First for retail
“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.”
Meanwhile, as manufacturers grapple with the need to make their packaging more sustainable, we explore the steps machinery providers are taking to make the change as seamless as possible.
