Sainsbury’s has switched its own-brand twin pack avocado packaging from plastic to paper in a move which will eventually save 20.2 million pieces of plastic a year upon full rollout.

Starting with a trial across 77 Sainsbury’s supermarkets, customers can purchase by Sainsbury’s Ripe & Ready Avocados twin pack in paper packaging in selected superstores now. Following successful completion of the trial, a wider rollout is anticipated to start later this year in-store and online. The plastic-free avocado packaging consists of paper with bamboo netting, a solution that is fully recyclable at curbside.

Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation said: “Switching to paper packaging across our Ripe & Ready Avocados twin pack is one of the many steps we are taking to fulfill our commitment towards a greener future. The initiative reflects our continuous efforts to help develop more sustainable and innovative packaging solutions and we’re excited for our customers to try out the new packaging in-store".

As part of its broader strategy to cut down on plastic usage, Sainsbury’s has implemented various initiatives. Last year, Sainsbury’s made the move from plastic to cardboard punnets across a range of its Taste the Difference berries and cherries. The change will help the retailer save over 160 tonnes of plastic per year. Furthermore, the switch to cardboard mushroom punnets has saved around 775 tonnes of plastic each year, and transitioning all kitchen and toilet roll packaging from plastic to paper reduced over 485 tonnes annually.

Sainsbury’s recently launched its ‘Good to Know’ logo to help customers identify products with improved packaging or components such as those with reduced plastic packaging. The new logo is aimed to raise awareness and make it easier for customers to understand Sainsbury’s work to support sustainability, animal welfare and communities.