A Plastic Planet have questioned Sainsbury’s commitment to save “450 tonnes” of plastic per year by vacuum packing beef mince. Sainsbury’s has announced it is removing traditional plastic tray packaging across its entire beef mince range and replacing it with a vacuum-packed alternative, which the supermarket says uses a minimum of 55% less plastic. The revamped packaging is both in-store and online from 23rd February However, the announcement has drawn criticism, with Sian Sutherland, Co-Founder of A Plastic Planet saying there is more to it than meets the eye. “While there will be a saving in the weight of plastic used, switching to flexible plastics over rigid ones is no more ‘green’ than changing from a petrol to a diesel vehicle. Flexible plastics are almost impossible to recycle, especially where they are food contaminated. Read more here.