Sainsbury’s ditches plastic in own-label mushroom punnets

Sainsbury’s is switching its own-brand mushroom punnets from plastic to cardboard.

The retailer said the move will save over 775 tonnes of plastic, equivalent to over 52 million pieces of plastic a year. It represents Sainsbury’s biggest-ever single plastics removal.

The change is being applied to all 13 own-brand lines, including top sellers such as whole baby button, closed cup, organic and chestnut mushrooms by the end of the month.

Sainsbury’s stated that it will be the first UK retailer to roll out cardboard punnets for all mushrooms across all stores, helping customers to recycle the packaging more easily at home. 

Shoppers can currently purchase bySainsbury’s and SO Organic mushrooms in cardboard punnets in all stores and online, and the change will affect Taste the Difference lines by the end of January.

Claire Hughes, director of product and innovation, said: “As part of our Plan for Better commitments, we are trying to reduce plastic packaging across our own-brand ranges. We are delighted to introduce cardboard punnets for our own-brand mushrooms.

“Making a collective effort with suppliers to increase recycled content and recyclability for all customers has helped achieve our biggest-ever plastics removal so far. The initiative reflects our commitment towards a healthier and more sustainable future as we continue to look at ways to innovate our packaging and reduce and replace plastic where possible.”

The film packaging can still be recycled at one of Sainsbury’s front-of-store flexible plastics recycling points, the supermarket added.