British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has announced the trial of paper packaging for its own-brand Ripe & Ready Avocados twin pack.
The company highlighted that the new initiative would eliminate 20.2 million pieces of plastic each year once fully implemented.
Customers can purchase the Ripe & Ready Avocados twin-pack product in paper packaging at 77 stores participating in the trial across the UK.
After the completion of the trial, a broader rollout is expected to begin later this year, both in-store and online.
The plastic-free avocado packaging is made of paper with bamboo netting, a fully recyclable solution that can be disposed of via kerbside bins.
As part of its wider strategy to reduce plastic usage, Sainsbury’s has introduced several initiatives.
Last year, the retailer switched from plastic to cardboard punnets for its range of Taste the Difference berries and cherries.
This change is expected to help the retailer save more than 160 tonnes (t) of plastic annually.
Furthermore, the company’s shift to cardboard mushroom punnets aims to save approximately 775t of plastic each year while transitioning all its kitchen and toilet roll packaging from plastic to paper has reduced plastic use by over 485t annually.
Additionally, Sainsbury’s recently introduced its ‘Good to Know’ logo to assist customers in identifying products with enhanced packaging such as those featuring reduced plastic packaging.
The new logo is designed to raise awareness and simplify the process for customers to recognise Sainsbury’s efforts in supporting sustainability, animal welfare, and communities.
Sainsbury’s Product and Innovation director Claire Hughes said: “Switching to paper packaging across our Ripe & Ready Avocados twin pack is one of the many steps we are taking to fulfil our commitment towards a greener future.
“The initiative reflects our continuous efforts to help develop more sustainable and innovative packaging solutions and we’re excited for our customers to try out the new packaging in-store.”
Last October, Sainsbury’s claimed to have become the first major UK retailer to switch its entire fresh lamb mince range to vacuum-packed packaging, reducing plastic waste.
