Sainsbury's to sell products in compostable packs

A supermarket today announced a fresh drive to cut down on packaging waste. Sainsbury's will sell 500 of its own-brand products in compostable packs instead of plastic versions.

It is calling on other retailers to follow suit and on the Government to provide compost bins for all homes.

The compostable packaging - which was trialled on a small number of organic products - will reduce plastic by around 3,550 tonnes per year, Sainsbury's said. It is made from plant-based starch that breaks down into CO2 and water.

From this month, the chain will print advice such as ``please recycle'' or ``sorry, not recyclable'' on all its own-brand products to make the message clear to shoppers.

Almost half of its organic fruit and vegetables will be in compostable packaging from this week, rising to 80% by January. The scheme will extend to all Sainsbury's ready meals by September 2007.