Sainsbury’s switches from plastic to paper packaging for toilet and kitchen rolls

05 Oct 2023 --- UK retailer Sainsbury’s is transitioning from plastic to paper packaging across its own-brand toilet paper and kitchen towel ranges. The retailer shares that this move will save 485 metric tons of plastic annually, equivalent to over 55 million individual pieces of plastic.

The shift to paper packaging will encompass 27 items and is reportedly “the biggest plastics reduction the retailer has made in its grocery business so far.” The transformation will be made in-store and online, and completed by February next year. 

Notably, the new paper packaging is designed with recyclability in mind, making it easy for consumers to participate in the recycling process through curbside programs.

“We sell thousands of our own brand toilet tissue and kitchen roll products every week and by switching from plastic to paper on these household staples, we’re able to reduce plastic significantly,” says Claire Hughes, director of product and innovation at Sainsbury’s.

“This change alone represents the biggest plastic reduction in our grocery products so far and our customers can expect many more changes to come.”

But, speaking to Packaging Insights, plastic materials scientist and president of Phantom Plastics, Chris DeArmitt, says: “Every life cycle study I have read comparing paper to PE plastic shows that the paper causes far more harm, meaning you need 3–4 times more material. If they say they save 485 metric tons of plastic, what that means is that they increased material use by over 1,000 tons.” 

“It also means they increased waste, CO2 creation, fossil fuel use and overall harm. Even worse, studies show that people litter more when you replace plastic because they believe the paper will degrade, so why not drop it? A report showed that supermarket executives know that replacing plastic increases harm, but they do it anyway because their misinformed customers think it’s green when it is the opposite.”Sainsbury’s says the move to paper packaging will save 485 metric tons of plastic annually.

We have contacted Sainsbury’s for a comment on DeArmitt’s claims.

Tackling waste and boosting sustainability
Sainsbury’s previous efforts to curb plastic waste include the introduction of double-length toilet rolls that reduced plastic packaging by 30%, saving 84 tons of plastic annually. Last month, the retailer made headlines as the “first UK retailer” to replace plastic babywear hangers with cardboard, saving 103 tons of plastic per year. 

The supermarket also shifted its own-brand laundry detergent from plastic to cardboard cartons earlier this year, contributing to an annual reduction of 22 tons of plastic waste. To reduce food waste, it also swapped use-by dates with best-before dates across its own-brand milk range.

As the retail landscape evolves, Sainsbury’s continues to reduce plastic packaging. Last year, the retailer axed single-use plastic lids across its dip pot range to save over 220 metric tons of waste. However, things went wrong when the brand changed its minced beef trays to vacuum packs to reduce material use. 

Consumers complained about the product’s gray color and how the texture was “more like a brick” than a consumable item.

By Radhika Sikaria