In 2018, Sainsbury’s was only able to eliminate 1% of plastic packaging from its stores, proving that their pledge to halve the amount of plastic used by 2025 will be a difficult task. Britain’s second-biggest supermarket chain is now considering new ways to cut down on plastic packaging with ideas like introducing refillable and returnable milk and fizzy drinks glass bottles. However, in the end, the ambitious goal will surely need the help of industry and the general public.
At the moment, Sainsbury’s uses almost 120,000 tons of plastic packaging each year. Sainsbury’s said a “transformational leap in thinking” will be necessary if they are to cut that figure in half over the next six years. In order to make this happen, it is looking to collaborate with food manufacturers, packaging firms, academics, and even its rivals. It is even reaching out to the customers for suggestions with an area on its website dedicated to the submittal of ideas from the public to help reduce plastic packaging.
The ideas they will be applying now include:
- Switching to alternative materials
- Using lighter-weight plastics, focusing on milk bottles, fruit, and vegetables, fizzy drinks, water and fruit juices
- Launching refillable stations scheme where customers bring their own bottles to be filled
- Refillable fresh water dispensers
“Reducing plastic and packaging is not easy,” said Sainsbury’s Chief executive Mike Coupe. That’s because the reality is, plastic plays an important part in keeping food safe and fresh. Of course, the safety of our planet is just as important so alternatives need to be found to help the business achieve its ambitious goal and reduce its negative impact on the planet.
Coupe said:
We must therefore find alternatives to plastic that protect the quality of our food while minimizing our impact on the environment.
Louise Edge, head of Greenpeace UK’s ocean plastics campaign, said:
This is a victory for the tens of thousands of customers who lobbied them to do better. Huge plastic reduction and bringing in refillable packaging at scale are vital to tackling the plastic pollution crisis.
The company says it will provide twice-yearly updates on the progress it is making. However, a big part of how well all this goes has to do with the consumers because they will have to alter how they shop. If people truly care about the environment, they will have to bring refillable containers for meats and frozen foods; jugs for milk, juices, and sodas; bottles for cleaning products; reusable bags for produce; and reusable bags to transport all of this out of the store to their destination. The supermarket chain will take care of the rest.
