Sainsbury’s, one of the largest supermarket chains in the United Kingdom, has announced a major change to its beef mince packaging. Previously packaged using plastic trays, Sainsbury’s beef mince will now come in a flexible, vacuum-sealed package in an effort by the company to reduce its plastic packaging use by 50% by 2025. 

The transition is expected to save close to a thousand pounds of plastic annually, and customers will be able to purchase beef mince in the revamped packaging both in-store and online. Vacuum-packed for freshness, the beef mince will boast a longer shelf-life thanks to the packaging’s removal of oxygen, which causes the product to eventually spoil. The quantity of the product will remain the same, but will come in a smaller package to help reduce waste and preserve refrigerator space. 

“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,” said Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s. “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.”

The recent transition marks a consistent effort from Sainsbury’s to reduce its environmental impact. In 2019, Sainsbury’s was the first UK supermarket to remove plastic bags for loose fruit, vegetables and bakery items from all stores, as well as the first to remove all black plastic from chilled ready meals, and more recently, the company announced the removal of single-use plastic lids across a variety of its own-brand products. 

To learn more about Sainsbury’s, please visit https://www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/.