What does lamb mince, fresh salmon and trout, avocados, bakery favourites and houmous all have in common? At Sainsbury’s, reduced plastic packaging as of the past year.
Packaging plays an important role in keeping our products fresh and ensuring they reach our customers in perfect condition. At the same time, we know recycling matters deeply to people and we understand concerns about its impact on the planet.
With new UK legislation on the horizon, we believe it’s the right time to take a fresh look at our approach. Before we do, let’s take a look back at our 2024/25 progress on our ambitious targets for plastic reduction.
Across food, we delivered a further 2,812 tonne reduction in plastic in 2024/25, an absolute reduction of 18.7 per cent since our baseline in 2018. We also saved 412 tonnes in general merchandise and clothing last year, a reduction of 42.6 per cent since our baseline in 2020.
We know how important it is to reduce plastic waste and make packaging more sustainable. It’s a challenge facing our sector and beyond and one we take very seriously at Sainsbury’s. As our many firsts for this year show, we’ve already made big strides through investment and innovation but we also know there’s more to do.
The reality is that finding the right alternatives isn’t always simple. Some materials, like films and polystyrene, don’t yet have viable replacements that keep food fresh and safe. The UK’s recycling system also isn’t fully equipped to handle certain materials, meaning that even well-designed packaging can end up in landfill. And while new solutions are emerging, transitioning to them takes time and significant investment.
We know that the UK’s recycling infrastructure still has room for improvement, and this can sometimes lead to plastic waste ending up in landfills or our oceans. The expanded scope of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation is starting to drive real action, encouraging us all to focus more on recyclability.
That’s why we’re evolving our approach, because this isn’t just about plastic. It’s about rethinking packaging altogether to make it as sustainable as possible while still protecting the products our customers rely on.
As our headline plastic reduction target ends in December 2025, we are evolving our packaging strategy – one that encompasses all packaging materials with the bigger picture of recyclability, sustainability and new EPR legislation. Here’s what we’re striving for:
We know we can’t do this alone. Creating real change means working in partnership across industries, with suppliers and with our customers. As we move ahead, we will continue to:
We will also explore how we can help customers make sustainable packaging choices, including refill-at-home and reuse options.
This is a journey and while there are challenges, we’re excited about what’s ahead. By rethinking how we design, use and recycle packaging, we can make a real difference in partnership.