Sainsbury’s Basics Tinned Chopped Tomatoes to be Stocked in Cartons

The switch will go some way towards helping the supermarket achieve its target of reducing packaging by a third by 2015. This move alone will reduce carbon emissions by 156 tonnes per year.

19 Jan 2010 --- Sainsbury's has announced that its basics tinned chopped tomatoes are to be sold in cartons rather than cans, reducing packaging by half a million kilos per year. Basics tinned chopped tomatoes are the highest selling non-fresh item in the store, making this the first time cartons have been used for tinned items at large volumes.

This is the latest innovation in the supermarket's basics range, which is fast becoming one of the country's most environmentally responsible brands. The switch will go some way towards helping the supermarket achieve its target of reducing packaging by a third by 2015. This move alone will reduce carbon emissions by 156 tonnes per year.

Stuart Lendrum, Sainsbury's head of packaging, said: "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.

"Packaging basics chopped tomatoes this way will make life easier for customers as they will take up less space in cupboards, while at the same time, the environmental impact of those tomatoes will be a lot lower. Also, as they can be packed more tightly, more will fit onto a lorry meaning fewer journeys are required to move them around the country."

Basics is becoming one of Sainsbury's most environmentally responsible ranges, as the supermarket aims to show customers that high environmental standards do not necessarily lead to higher prices.

Stuart added: "We focus equally on basics products when looking for ways to reduce packaging, as it's a great way to show customers that they do not have to pay more to be environmentally conscious."

Basics products have been subject to a great deal of packaging reduction innovations over the past few months. These include:

• Basics eggs - box re-designed to reduce packaging by 9.4 per cent, saving 18.5 tonnes of packaging per year
• Basics chilled ready meals - Outer sleeve reduced to lower packaging by 34 per cent or 33 tones per year
• Basics cereals - Box removed from Cornflakes and Fruit and Fibre, saving 126 tonnes per year (in stores in March)
• Basics yoghurt 500g - Plastic lid removed, saving 14 tonnes per year
• Basics family biscuits selection - 70% less packaging per 100g of biscuits versus core family selection

Packaging reduction is not the only way in which basics products have been made more environmentally responsible over the years. Basics fish fingers for example, were the first food product in the UK to be made with certified sustainable palm oil. Basics salmon is also MSC certified.