SAINSBURY’S has announced that it is switching its entire fresh lamb mince range from plastic tray packaging to a vacuum-packed alternative.
The supermarket said the move will use a minimum of 65% less plastic and follows the success of moving its beef mince range to vacuum packs.
The lamb mince products will be vacuum-packed for freshness, removing all oxygen which Sainsbury’s said typically causes a product to spoil more quickly, increasing the life of the current product and also allowing the product to last better in the freezer.
Sainsbury’s added that the new packaging will contain the same amount of lamb mince at the same quality and will be recyclable in-store at supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s flexible plastic recycling collection points available in all of its supermarkets.
There will also be new QR codes on the packaging to provide advice on how to cook the mince.
Richard Crampton, director of fresh food at Sainsbury’s, said, “We know customers want us to reduce plastic packaging and that’s why we’re committed to making bold changes which benefit the environment as well as helping customers to reduce plastic waste at home. Once again, we’re the first major supermarket to switch to vacuum packed packaging on a popular product that our customers buy week in, week out. This change more than halves the plastic used in our lamb mince range.”
