So I sent my first badgering email 🙂 I brought up:
- Unnecessary packaging on the multipacks
- Plastic bags for loose fruit and veg
- Plastic on netting
I didn’t get space in the form to talk about the eco-aisle! But they responded and, while not really committing to anything new they do show willing. I’ll take that for now :). Here is a copy of their response:
Dear Dr Srivastava
Thanks for writing to us about your concerns surrounding our environmental policies. We’re really passionate in our approach to this issue, particularly as one of our key corporate values is respect for our environment.
As part of our company values, we’re committed to sourcing the products we sell in a sustainable and responsible way. Our scale means we can make a massive difference by embedding ‘Respect For Our Environment’ in our decision making. We aim to be the UK’s greenest grocer, not only by reducing our impact on the environment but by engaging our suppliers and others to do the same. You can find out more about this by visiting http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/responsibility, including our sustainability plan, our comments and stories on food donation, healthier baskets and waste less, save more.
I’m sorry you’ve had to query our approach, and I’ve dropped a copy of your email to our Corporate Affairs Team. They’ll be able to use your comments to help them with their continual updates on our environmental policies.
Thanks for taking the time to get in touch and I hope you’ll feel happy to shop with us soon.
Kind regards,
Aaron Podesta | Sainsbury’s Careline
Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd | 33 Holborn, London | EC1N 2HT
customer.service@sainsburys.co.uk | 0800 636 262
twitter.com/sainsburys | facebook.com/sainsburys
As you can see above, if you would like to email them with your concerns too their address is:
customer.service@sainsburys.co.uk
This is a template for an email you can send, if it helps:
Dear ,
I am sure that you are increasingly aware of the international concern with plastic pollution and that consequently people do not want to purchase unnecessary plastic with their groceries. I wish to draw your attention to the superfluity of single use plastic in your stores so you can hopefully change your policies to be more protective of our environment.
First, in your stores consumers are incentivised to buy products in unnecessary plastic packaging in the form of multi-pack buys. Products from fruit and veg to tins of beans, soups and fish purchased in plastic multi-packs are consistently cheaper than when bought loose. This is both unnecessary and harmful plastic waste and financially demotivating for consumers trying to make ethical purchasing decisions.
Second, the netting for food like oranges has unnecessary plastic tags on it, while loose fruit and veg has non-degradable stickers on. These could be made from biodegradable materials.
Third, your consumers are encouraged to put these items in flimsy single use plastic bags when you could easily change this to compostable netting; desirable, non-plastic market bags; or paper bags.
Finally, it is essential that online shopping is delivered in a more customer-friendly manner. It is currently challenging to receive a large family shop without using plastic bags to help speed the unpacking from the lorry. I would suggest lining the stackable plastic crates with a cardboard box taken out of the crate by the door for easy unpacking. These can later be returned to you or recycled.
These issues can arguably be addressed immediately and result in a positive, ethical move for your brand.
Thank you for your time.
Yours sincerely
…..
I also like to add the following because I like these ideas 🙂
There are longer term issues that can be changed. Elsewhere in the store the issue continues as breads and cereals are swathed in plastic – even fresh bakery items are sold in paper bags with plastic windows. Refill bins for popular brands could be introduced.
I would also like to suggest the development of an eco-aisle of ecologically sound, compostable or biodegradable alternatives to common household products. (This is distinct to products that promote themselves as ‘organic’, ‘natural’ or ‘local’ while using non-recyclable plastic packaging.) Rather, they are products which are easily recyclable, reusable or refillable. Your store already has plenty of these products but they are hard to see among the regular brands. An ‘eco-week’ could be arranged, promoting your support to ecologically aware brands. You could trial and demonstrate the efficacy of bottle refills for household cleaners; install bulk buy refill bins for cereals; deposit and return systems for plastic bottles and even trial and promote alternative products like shampoo bars, simple hand soaps, reusable products over disposable ones (e.g. kitchen cloths, baby wipes and nappies) and windowsill salad gardens. It would be possible to market these as aspirational and desirable lifestyle changes, as fun and simple ways of ‘being’ along with the current trend toward the concepts of hygge and mindfulness.
I sincerely believe that immediately addressing some of the above concerns while also developing a longer-term, ecologically motivated anti-plastic campaign could only be a positive move for your brand. I hope that you agree.
I hope they do agree! Anyway, there isn’t going to be much choice soon, the Government seem to be on the case – more of which later 🙂 🙂 🙂
Am off to wrap my pressies – using recyclable wrapping paper (not the shiny plasticky stuff!) and either pretty yarns, string and twine to wrap around it in a bow 🙂 I then reuse lovely cards from last year’s crop as gift tags. It is surprisingly effective and very pleasing!
Big loves y’all
Ni
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager (postmaster@sainsburys.co.uk) and delete it from your system.
Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd (3261722 England)
Registered Offices: 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT
Sainsbury’s Argos is a trading name of both:
1) Argos Limited, Registered office: 489-499 Avebury Boulevard, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, MK9 2NW, registered number: 01081551 (England and Wales); and
2) Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Limited, Registered office: 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT, registered number: 03261722 (England and Wales).
All companies listed above are subsidiaries of J Sainsbury plc (185647).
EcoTykki 