Sainsbury's switches to aluminium from plastic in creating own-label coffee pods

UK-based Sainsbury's is completely shifting to infinitely recyclable aluminium instead of plastic for making their flagship coffee pods.

This attempt at sustainability has been followed by an initiative Sainsbury's took the previous year by morphing some of its coffee pod packagings from plastic to aluminium to aid customers in recycling their used coffee pods at home.

The users only would have to empty the aluminium pods, wash them and put them in their local kerbside recycling bin.

The supermarket chain claims this new aluminium packaging might save 10 million pieces of plastic annually. Overall, 11 SKUs, including Lungo, Espresso and Taste The Difference Signature Light Roast, will all be subjected to the change.

Sainsbury's is also going to downsize the use of cardboard by 20 per cent all over its range by changing the packaging pattern. Additionally, the company will look into the packaging solutions its items are sent out in. 

Sainsbury's has developed a device that can separate the coffee and the aluminium pod, which is very handy because the sorted aluminium can then be transferred to recycling facilities.

Aluminium is infinitely recyclable and thus almost diminishes the carbon footprint of a product, creating a circular economy which is very beneficial for a sustainable economy.  

The company has taken this entire step to reach its plastic reduction goal of achieving 50 per cent less plastic usage by 2025.