Changing food packaging

Sainsbury's have announced plans to change the packaging on 500 of their food products from the usual plastic to a compostable material.

Put alongside the push by Tesco to encourage their customers to re-use plastic carrier bags, it seems the supermarkets are leading a long overdue change to certain habits that affect our environment.

The fact that the supermarkets caused these problems in the first place shouldn't be forgotten I suppose, although like most commercial organisations defending themselves against accusations of waste, they usually take the easy route of blaming the consumer.

Having said that the consumer must take a share of the blame for our willingness to take the easy option and just accept things as they are without question.

It would seem however, that things are beginning to change from both sides with the consumer making noises about unacceptable, wasteful practises and altering their spending habits accordingly, and the supermarkets noting the change in the wind and altering those wasteful practises.

As long as it remains profitable then the supermarkets will continue to make those changes and, taken as a long-term trend then these new practises should be profitable. It may not appear directly on the balance sheet as a positive profit (Only the supermarkets could confirm that) but taken in the wider context of brand publicity, ethics, currying favour, marketability and retaining custom it can only be a positive to go with the changing currents of environmentally aware consumerism.

So a thumbs up to the supermarkets, a thumbs up to the consumer and a big old organic raspberry to the Government for not doing enough to accelerate the trend.