Sainsbury's announces new plastic packaging ban across every UK store

Sainsbury’s will be removing plastic lids from a range of its own-brand dips in an effort to save 71 million pieces of plastic each year.

From March 2023, the supermarket's own-label dips including guacamole, tzatziki and sour cream & chive will be sold without their usual plastic lids.

It's the latest move in its efforts since 2019 to remove plastic from a variety of other dairy products including cream, crème fraîche, custard, cottage cheese and sour cream.

Sainsbury's has also launched its own reusable silicone lids, which shoppers can purchase for £1.25 across all superstores in England, Scotland and Wales, and online.

These lids can be washed by hand, but are also dishwasher safe and can be reused multiple times.

The supermarket's own-label dips will be sold without plastic lids (Daily Mirror)

The removal of single-use plastic lids is expected to save 71 million pieces of plastic every year, which equates to 220 tonnes of plastic.

Sainsbury's own-brand brandy butter will also be sold without plastic lids this year, saving roughly 581,000 pieces of plastic around Christmas time.

As well as its dips, the supermarket removed single-use plastic lids from all of its own-brand yoghurt, as well as the plastic packing on its bananas earlier this year in a bid to tackle plastic waste.

Now, bananas at Sainsbury's are packaged using a paper band.

Sainsbury’s said that the removal of plastic packaging from its bananas will remove 25 million single-use plastic bags, which equates to 75 tonnes of plastic, from its stores.

The Big Four grocer has previously said it had aims to cut its use of plastic packaging by 50% by 2025.

The Big Four grocer has previously said it had aims to cut its use of plastic packaging by 50% by 2025 (PA)

Similar efforts have been made elsewhere - as Tesco announced in April 2022 it would be buying more fruit and vegetables loose as the supermarket speeds up plans to remove all plastic wrappers from 5billion items sold by 2025.

Tesco started telling suppliers to speed up scrapping plastic and either supply vegetables loose or in recyclable or compostable packets.

Budget supermarket Aldi also announced it would be removing all plastic shrink wrap from its multipack baked beans as part of plans to reduce its carbon footprint.

The move will save 78 tonnes of single-use plastic from going to landfill each year, the supermarket said.

Aldi has also pledged to halve the volume of plastic packaging it uses by 2025.