Better for the planet

Increase recycling

Increase recycling

Recycling is a key part of our plan to reduce our packaging impact and we want to make it easy for our customers to recycle. Whilst we continue to reduce the amount of packaging used, through our facilities we aim to help make it easier for our customers to recycle a variety of materials.

Our commitment

Support the expansion of circular economy supply chains through our recycling approach

Key achievements

Zero

waste to landfill since 2013.

1500+

products refurbished giving them a new lease of life in 2023/24

100%

of all supermarkets offer front of store recycling points for flexible plastics

1800 tonnes

of unsellable clothing donated to Newlife charity for disabled children since partnership began in 2019

Latest news

03 October 2024

Sainsbury’s first major UK retailer to vacuum pack all lamb mince

  • Following the success of its market-leading vacuum-packed beef mince, Sainsbury’s is replacing traditional plastic tray packaging across its entire lamb mince range with a vacuum-packed alternative
  • The packaging will use a minimum of 65%* less plastic

03 October 2024

Sainsbury’s first major UK retailer to vacuum pack all lamb mince

  • Following the success of its market-leading vacuum-packed beef mince, Sainsbury’s is replacing traditional plastic tray packaging across its entire lamb mince range with a vacuum-packed alternative
  • The packaging will use a minimum of 65%* less plastic

Our progress so far


Our approach

Recycling is a key pillar of our overall approach to reducing packaging. In order to make it easier for our customers to recycle, our focus is on increasing the type of materials you can recycle in our stores. In 2021 we rolled out an in-store recycling system for flexible plastics to all our supermarkets. The innovative recycling system allows customers to recycle Polypropylene (PP) film found in several household products. Click here to find out more about recycling flexible plastic.

 

Working in collaboration

In order to expand on our recycling facilities to best support our customers to recycle, we are working with industry groups such as the British Retail Consortium, the Flexible Plastics Fund and Circularity Scotland. We are also signatories of both the UK Plastics Pact and Textiles 2030.

Our stories