Sainsbury’s
Since Sainsbury's set up shop in 1869, it has always had a strong sense of social and environmental responsibility and through its brand commitment Helping Everyone Eat Better, the supermarket is supporting its customers to eat better for their health and that of the planet. Through its sustainability pledges it is helping to drive lasting, positive change in the UK and internationally.
Sourcing with integrity is key to how Sainsbury’s operates, and this is reflected in the fact that all of its own brand canned tuna is pole-and-line caught. Sainsbury's has become the first of the traditional 'big four' supermarkets in the UK to commit to selling 100% pole-and-line caught canned tuna across its own-label offering.
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Products sold by Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury's is the second-largest UK supermarket chain and is trusted by families across the country to deliver high quality products with high quality sustainability, and its tuna can be bought as fillets in a jar, or as steaks in cans in either spring water or olive oil - delicious!
Sainsbury's own-label canned tuna is 100% pole-and-line caught tuna.
In terms of the retailers other products such as ready meals, sandwiches, pate, dips, salads, sandwich and potato fillers and sushi containing tuna, these are now sourced using more selective fishing methods. Tuna is the third biggest-selling fish in Sainsbury's and this move to more sustainable sourcing and gear type now sees 1,500 tonnes of fish move to the more sustainable catch method every year.
At A Glance
- Read all about it! Sainsbury's Inhouse Magazine
Sainsbury's Magazine includes recipes, lifestyle tips, and featured chefs to keep customers up to date and inspired in the kitchen and beyond.
- Committed to sustainable sourcing
73 per cent of the wild caught seafood sold at Sainsbury's is independently certified to the MSC standard and 100 per cent of the retailer's farmed seafood is independently certified to a credible best aquaculture practice standard.
- Donating surplus food to local communities with Neighbourly
Since 2020, the retailer has seen a 157 per cent increase year-on-year in the amount of food redistributed for human consumption. This is mostly driven by its food donation partnerships and last year Sainsbury's proudly partnered with Neighbourly to manage its back of store food donation programme, helping to connect stores with local partners who redistribute food to those in need.
- Help Brighten a Million Christmases
Sainsbury's recently launched its annual ‘Help Brighten a Million Christmases’ campaign, which sees the retailer work with its customers to donate what they can to help feed families in need over the festive period. Each year the supermarket matches customer donations up to the value of £1.5 million - every £1 customer donation provides the equivalent of two hot meals, so once matched by Sainsbury’s, each £1 donated could help feed four people in need.
- Net Zero by 2035
In October 2021, Sainsbury's accelerated its Scope 1 and 2 target to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero within its own operations by 2035 in a bid to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
For Scope 3, Sainsbury's is working with suppliers to reduce GHG emissions in its value chain by 30 per cent by 2030.
- Transparency matters
Sainsbury's Plan For Better sets out its sustainability goals across the whole business, outlining priority areas of focus, key commitments and progress. Sainsbury's has identified areas which matter most to stakeholders and are aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, so that it can make the biggest difference.
https://about.sainsburys.co.uk/sustainability/plan-for-better
- Principal Supermarket Partner of COP26
Sainsbury's is proud to be the Principal Supermarket Partner of COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference. In November 2021, Sainsbury's hosted an exhibition space in the COP26 Green Zone to engage with the public and educate them on how we can all eat better for our health and that of the planet. The supermarket also organised a number of speaking events at the conference, bringing in experts across the business to discuss industry challenges and the progress its made within plastic packaging, recycling, sustainable farming, and food waste.
Sainsbury's collaborated with PwC UK on a detailed water report - Uncharted Waters: Preserving our most vital resource. Engaging with over 80 diverse stakeholders, including academics, utility companies, NGOs, and representatives from UK government organisations highlighting key cross-sector water issues, helped to understand challenges and areas of best practice, and suggested tangible ways forward.
You can read this here
- Family Favourite Since 1869
Sainsbury's currently has over 600 supermarket stores and over 800 convenience stores, making it the second-largest chain of supermarkets in the UK, serving 28 million customers a week.
—“At Sainsbury’s, we are driven by our passion for food and believe everyone should have access to food that’s really tasty and great value, while being good for you and for the planet. We recognise that we have a responsibility to drive lasting change, which is why we’re helping everyone eat better, one plate at a time.”
Our Fishery
Company Policies and Reports
Transparency and Traceability
In 2016, Sainsbury's helped to fund the fishery information system (FIS). This system worked with the Maldivian fisheries to fulfil international traceability requirements. The support from Sainsbury's meant that they could hire a database specialist to work in the research centre of the MoFA.
Consumer Empowerment
'Fish for Thought' is an online database of articles and think-pieces aimed at consumers to educate them on the need for sustainable fishing. The articles focus on explaining what sustainability means to them, the health benefits of sustainable fishing, and facts to engage consumers in actively picking the best choice of fish for themselves, for the fishers, and for the ocean.
Fisheries Improvement Toolbox (FIT) Engagement
Sainsbury's showed its commitment to global cooperation and stability in the vision for sustainable small-scale fishing by arriving at the 2017 Seafood Expo Global in Brussels: the largest seafood trade fair. Alongside other members, updates on FIPs were presented and the knowledge shared will further boost our global efforts.
In 2018, Sainsbury's was one of the 14 IPNLF member companies to declare support for the agreement between MMAF in Indonesia and IPNLF to ensure continued cooperation to build an understanding of the importance of MSC certification. This was a landmark agreement that supported Indonesia's FIP project, ultimately leading to MSC Certification in 2020.
The retailer has continued its commitment to support global fisheries in a policy level by continuing to lend its voice and support to IPNLF campaigns.
