Sainsbury's makes big packaging changes to chicken and fish to cut back on waste

Pulp trays will be used for all of its salmon and trout products. These use 70 per cent less plastic and are easy to recycle at home.

Plastic trays will also be replaced with cardboard ones for fresh breaded chicken and fresh Taste the Difference breaded fish.

The pulp packaging is set to save 646 tonnes of plastic a year and it will reduce 48 tonnes of plastic by changing the Taste the Difference breaded fish fillet packaging.

Sainsbury's shoppers will start to see this in all stores in the coming months with the packaging appearing on summer staples such as finger foods and its BBQ range.

Director of product and innovation at Sainsbury’s Claire Hughes said: “With salmon being one of our most popular fish, we made it a priority to reduce the plastic on the packaging of this much-loved product as we work towards our Plan for Better goals.

“We are now the first retailer to make the move to have recycled pulp card trays across all our by Sainsbury’s and Taste the Difference salmon products, enabling a whopping 70 per cent plastic reduction.

"Together with changes to our breaded fish and chicken packaging, we are set to save 694 tonnes of plastic a year – a significant step towards our plastic reduction goals.”

This comes as Sainsbury's updates packaging with an easy way for customers to spot if their items are more sustainable.

The supermarket launched a 'Good to Know' logo that will appear on items that are more sustainable, such as those with reduced plastic packaging.

Sainsbury's has made various moves to become more sustainable, such as using cardboard punnet on its own brand mushrooms and replacing plastic steak trays with cardboard alternatives.

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It is not the only supermarket committed to being more sustainable in the UK and Aldi has launched an own-brand paper gin bottle.

The gin - available now - is easier to transport as it is more lightweight and comes in a recyclable pouch.

Aldi said: "Made from 94 per cent recycled paperboard and lined with a food-grade pouch to contain the gin, the easy-to-carry, shatterproof bottle is recyclable and five times lighter than a standard glass bottle."