Sainsbury’s has announced that it has changed its packaging for its Basics line of chopped tomatoes as part of its drive to become greener.
The supermarket chain said the product will no longer be sold in metal tins but in cartons that can be easily recycled .
The move is expected to help cut packaging weight by half a million kilos, or 500 tons, a year and is part of a long-term target to reduce total packaging by a third by 2015. The retailer has also estimated that the change will see carbon emissions cut by 156 tonnes per year.
Sainsburys Basics tomatoes are the chain’s biggest-selling non-fresh item, with 22 million cans sold every year.
Stuart Lendrum, head of packaging at Sainbsury’s, said: “Packaging our Basics tomatoes this way will make life easier for customers because they will take up less space in cupboards, while at the same time the environmental impact will be a lot lower.”
“Because the cartons can be packed together more tightly, more will fit on to a lorry, meaning fewer journeys are required to move them around the country.”
He added: “This type of carton is a strong challenger to the traditional tin can in many ways and may well pose a threat to its dominance over the coming years.”
