UK – Leading UK supermarket, Sainsbury’s has announced plans to remove single-use plastic lids across its own-brand dip pot ranges in 2023, in a bid to save 200 metric tonnes of waste.
Starting in March, Sainsbury’s will no longer sell its guacamole, tzatziki, sour cream and chive dip with single-use plastic lids.
This decision follows the removal of single-use plastic lids on its yogurt, crème fraiche, sour cream, cream, cottage cheese and custard pots.
The company predicts that the removal of single-use plastic caps will save 71 million pieces of plastic each year, equating to 220 metric tons of plastic.
While the removal of the lids will be solidified in March, Sainsbury’s will start the reduction process this Christmas season.
This year’s Sainsbury’s Christmas range will also see the removal of single-use plastic lids, helping save an average of 581,000 pieces of plastic this festive season, states the company.
Meanwhile, the company has launched reusable lids, available to purchase across all superstores in England, Scotland and Wales and online for £1.25 (US$1.53), reports Packaging Insights
The tops have been created for customers who want a replacement for the plastic for possible freshness or cleanliness reasons.
The lids are made of silicone and can be washed by hand or in a dishwasher before being reused.
In addition, the lids are designed to be compatible with Sainsbury’s own-brand pots and some branded pots such as Yeo Valley, Onken and Alpro.
Sainsbury’s also announced its commitment to halve its use of its own-brand plastic packaging by 2025.
In line with this, Sainsbury’s recently changed its entire coffee pod range from plastic to aluminum pods, allowing customers to recycle them at home and helping to save over 10 million pieces of plastic each year.
The company also launched new double-length toilet rolls, which it states reduce plastic packaging by 30%, 84 metric tonnes of plastic.
Sainsbury’s has also previously implemented a cost for its single-use bags. It began as a 5p (US$0.06) bag charge but doubled to 10p (US$0.12) after promising results and extended to all retailers in May.
Meanwhile, the supermarket is aiding recycling collection efforts by setting up drop-off points at stores throughout the UK and has been since 2021.
The collection points are set up in its supermarkets for flexible plastics to make recycling easier for its customers.
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