Retail giant Sainsbury’s has become the first grocer to introduce pulp trays for all of its salmon and trout products, which use 70% less plastic and can be recycled at home.

Other packaging changes at Sainsbury’s include replacing plastic trays with cardboard alternatives on all fresh Taste the Difference breaded fish products.

“The changes represent another step towards Sainsbury’s commitment to reduce its plastic packaging and increase recyclability,” according to the company.

Changes to its fish and chicken packaging combined will save about 694 tons of plastic per year. The salmon fillet trays alone will save 346 tons of plastic, or 70% less than before the change.

Changes to its Taste the Difference breaded fish fillet packages, meanwhile, are expected to save 48 tons of plastic a year.

“With salmon being one of our most popular fish, we made it a priority to reduce the plastic on the packaging of this much loved product as we work towards our Plan for Better goals,” said Claire Hughes, director of product and innovation at Sainsbury’s.

Sainsbury’s also recently launched its ‘Good to Know’ logo to help customers find products that are more sustainable, including those with reduced plastic packaging.

The new logo spotlights the retailer’s commitment to sustainability and its work toward meeting its Plan for Better goals. The ‘Good to Know’ logo appears on the latest packaging for all the grocer’s salmon products.

The new fish packaging is just the latest in a series of changes made by the retailer as part of its commitment to reduce its own-brand plastic packaging.

Other milestones include the replacement of Sainsbury’s plastic steak trays with cardboard alternatives.

Sainsbury’s also recently made its greatest single reduction in plastic by swapping plastic punnets for cardboard for all its own brand mushrooms, saving over 775 tons of plastic a year.

This article is an excerpt from the September 2024 issue of Supermarket Perimeter. You can read the entire Seafood Packaging feature and more in the digital edition here.