Sainsburys face prosecution for over packaging

MrsRogers

Did anyone else see this on the news?

Personally its about time in my opinion. :T We are one of the worst countries for waste.

I don't think it should be just MR S though.. I hope all supermarkets sit up and take this as a warning.

From an environmental perspective but also from a cost perspective to the customers. We don't want stuff over packaged.

Farway

I heard it, but as far as I know there is no law about "overpackaging" [I stand to be corrected on this]

I suspect it was really incorrect weight, and the packaging was included in the weight when it should have been excluded

Penelope_Penguin

I've not seen this article, so can't comment on that (maybe you could post a link )

MrsRogers wrote: »

From an environmental perspective but also from a cost perspective to the customers. We don't want stuff over packaged.

Clearly some people do; if no-one bought "over-packaged" items, the stores would get the message and stop stocking them

MrsBartolozzi

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

Clearly some people do; if no-one bought "over-packaged" items, the stores would get the message and stop stocking them

I would disagree though, I'd rather the meat (for instance) was shrink-wrapped minimally, but in Sainsbury's if you want their better quality cuts, Taste the Difference or organic ranges then they come with all the extra packaging. Only their cheaper ranges are wrapped how I'd prefer them to be. Granted I could source a butcher etc, but then I've extra miles to drive and tbh I've not found one I like yet.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1312599/Sainsburys-landmark-case-force-supermarkets-end-needless-packaging.html

Sorry it's a DM link:o!

Doom_and_Gloom

My partner and I were talking about this before he went to work. He pointed out that the picture of the products without packaging had raw meat next to other fresh food. He stated himself that that would be a contamination and health issue. Some foods, such as meat, need packaging of some kind. Even when you buy meat at the butcher they wrap it up in a plastic bag. Things like chocolare fingers, jaffa cakes, croissants etc are impossible to sell lose so they are going too far with those.

Yes most supermarkets have over packaging problems - I've never understood why they put a cucumber in plastic for example - however Sainsburys is not the only offender and I doubt they are even the worst! Supermarkets do need to lower the packaging on their products but it's not just supermarket own products that do this. Big companies that sell their products through supermarkets and other stores need to rethink their packaging also. However they are all going to argue that packaging is how they sell their product and they are right as that is why a lot of people will buy the more costly product even though the products are exactly the same (or near enough).

Pink.

Hi MrsRogers,

As your thread has dropped down the Old Style board I've moved it over to the Green & Ethical MoneySaving board to see if you can get more replies.

Pink


Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Ben84

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

...I've never understood why they put a cucumber in plastic for example...

It's to keep the cucumber crisp and crunchy. Otherwise, in the time it takes to get from farm to the shop it's quite likely it would become a bit soft and dried out.

The one that puzzled me though was the shrink wrapped whole coconut?!

savemoney

The best packaging are natures own, ie coconut, banana for example

Not sure why they arepicking on Sainsburys although its probably a test case, cant see that packaging any worse than many others. It annoying and sometimes deceitful marketing when you now often buy a item only to then find its half full, yes it says on outside what it weighs but I dont buy it then its down to settlement entirely I think they do it to trick you and it often works

Elbee

Farway wrote: »

I heard it, but as far as I know there is no law about "overpackaging" [I stand to be corrected on this]

I suspect it was really incorrect weight, and the packaging was included in the weight when it should have been excluded

There are regulations on packaging - it wasn't incorrect weight. I think it's the Packaging (Essential Requirement) Regulations - can't remember the year though

juno

Ben84 wrote: »

It's to keep the cucumber crisp and crunchy. Otherwise, in the time it takes to get from farm to the shop it's quite likely it would become a bit soft and dried out.

The one that puzzled me though was the shrink wrapped whole coconut?!

Co-op sell naked cucumbers

Doom_and_Gloom

Ben84 wrote: »

It's to keep the cucumber crisp and crunchy. Otherwise, in the time it takes to get from farm to the shop it's quite likely it would become a bit soft and dried out.

The one that puzzled me though was the shrink wrapped whole coconut?!

I used to buy cucumbers without packaging and they were fine. Unfortunatly I can't do that anymore - the vegetable and fruit stall I used to buy my produce from went under about 8 months ago after several years of business. The one that replaced it didn't last 2 months and there hasn't been one since . I really liked it as they they had the produce in plastic containers on the stalls but when it came to giving them to you they would put them in paper bags (several items went in these not just one type of produce) or if you had little mesh vegetable/fruit bags you could use them! That ment less packaging all around.