Sainsbury's, a major UK supermarket chain, is reducing plastic waste with a significant revamp of its fish and chicken packaging.

These changes are expected to eliminate nearly 700 tonnes (t) of plastic annually.

The centrepiece of the initiative involves switching all own-brand salmon and trout fillet trays to pulp cardboard.

This material, made from sugarcane pulp, boasts a 70% reduction in plastic compared to traditional options.

Additionally, these trays are recyclable at home, simplifying waste management for customers.

Sainsbury's is also replacing plastic trays with cardboard alternatives for all fresh breaded chicken products under its own-brand and 'Taste the Difference' line.

This change extends to breaded fish fillets within the 'Taste the Difference' range as well.

These improvements align with Sainsbury's commitment to minimise plastic packaging and enhance recyclability across its product lines.

The eco-friendly packaging rollout will continue throughout the mid-year period, encompassing many seasonal favourites in Sainsbury's finger food and BBQ ranges.

“We are now the first retailer to make the move to have recycled pulp card trays across all our by Sainsbury’s and Taste the Difference salmon products, enabling a whopping 70% plastic reduction,” commented Claire Hughes, Sainsbury's director of product and innovation.

To assist its customers in identifying more sustainable products, Sainsbury's recently launched the 'Good to Know' logo. This logo highlights products with reduced plastic packaging, among other sustainability features.

It also aims to educate customers about the company's sustainability efforts and progress towards its Plan for Better ambitions.

The Good to Know logo will be displayed on the new packaging for Sainsbury's salmon products.

These announcements represent the latest in a series of changes implemented by Sainsbury's to decrease plastic usage in its own-brand packaging.

Previous initiatives include replacing plastic steak trays with cardboard alternatives and eliminating plastic punnets for its mushrooms.