The move is aligned with the retailer’s continued plastic reduction. Credit: Sainsbury’s.

UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has introduced new sustainable packaging across its bakery section to reduce plastic waste. 

This initiative is expected to cut plastic usage by more than 560 tonnes (t) each year. 

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The changes involve replacing plastic clam-shell-style packaging with cardboard and paper options for doughnuts and pastries. 

The move is expected to achieve a 90% reduction in plastic in the section annually.

Doughnuts will now be sold in card boxes with a small window while twin-pack pastries, croissants, and cinnamon swirls have transitioned to paper bags. 

In addition, the in-store bakery bread range will see up to a 60% reduction in plastic.  

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This is due to the removal of full plastic bags from products such as loaves, baguettes, and batons, which have been substituted with recyclable paper bags featuring a plastic window.  

This modification is set to save approximately 152t of plastic per year. 

Customers can separate the window from the new cardboard and paper bag packaging. This window can be recycled at front-of-store recycling points available at Sainsbury’s supermarkets.  

Meanwhile, the card and paper elements are recyclable through kerbside collections at home.  

The rollout of these packaging changes is expected to reach all stores in the coming months. 

These initiatives build on Sainsbury’s ongoing efforts to reduce its plastic waste.  

The retailer has already removed single plastic from mushroom punnets, which resulted in saving roughly 775t of plastic annually. 

It also transitioned to paper packaging for all kitchen and toilet rolls, a move that cuts more than 485t of plastic each year. 

To further guide its customers towards sustainable choices, Sainsbury’s has introduced the ‘Good to Know’ logo.  

This emblem is designed to highlight products with attributes such as reduced plastic packaging, thereby simplifying the process for customers to identify and select more environmentally friendly options. 

In June this year, Sainsbury’s further reduced its plastic waste with a significant revamp of its fish and chicken packaging.