British supermarket Sainsbury’s is hoping to up their green credentials by introducing new packaging for some of their cereal ranges by ditching the cardboard box exterior in favour of recyclable plastic bags. The move is hoped to reduce packaging by a third.

Sainsbury’s have already tested the packaging idea on one range, their Rice Pops cereal, and are now extending it to other cereals. Each product must be tested to ensure that the plastic bags give the cereal enough protection otherwise consumers will get their product home and end up with a bag of dust. Different cereals will react differently when transported due to friction and movement.

Sainsbury’s are also now selling milk in polythene bags to help reduce packaging, a move which doesn’t appear to be popular with consumers. Milk is said to be quite difficult to store once the plastic bag is opened and should ideally be poured into another container to minimise spillages. Other countries such as Hungary already sell milk in plastic bags successfully.

Tesco, another large British supermarket, have said that they are now looking into using plastic bags instead of cardboard boxes for their own-brand cereal ranges too. Kellogg’s, the largest cereal manufacturer in the world, has said they will also be looking into the idea.

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