Sainsbury’s has switched its peanut butter jars from glass to plastic, in a move the retailer said would reduce carbon emissions by more than 150 tonnes a year.

Packaging has been cut by 83% - or 882,000 kilos – as a result of the change, meaning the lighter jars require less fuel to transport.

“Our work on peanut butter is a great example of how you can reduce packaging without sacrificing its effectiveness,” said Sainsbury’s head of packaging Stuart Lendrum.

“Excess packaging is one of the top concerns among customers, so it is a real priority for us. It is vital that we strike the correct balance between ensuring packaging is functional and reducing the volume we use.”

Sainsbury’s has cut packaging levels by 12 million kilos over the past year, with around 7% of packaging removed from Sainsbury’s own-label products.

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