Sainsbury’s is introducing new packaging across several of its in-store bakery products to reduce plastic waste.

Under the changes, all doughnuts and pastries previously in plastic clam-shell style packaging will be switched out for cardboard and paper packaging.

This is set to result in a 90% plastic reduction, which will cut  plastic packaging by 414 tonnes annually.

Doughnuts will move to card boxes with a small window and twin-pastries, as well as croissants and cinnamon swirls, are switching to paper bags.

Meanwhile, in-store bakery bread will see up to a 60% reduction in plastic through the removal of full plastic bags across loaves, baguettes and batons.

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These have been replaced with recyclable bags with a plastic window, saving 152 tonnes of plastic a year.

The window from the new packaging can be easily separated from the card box and paper bag and recycled at any front-of-store recycling points at Sainsbury’s supermarkets, while the card and paper can be recycled at home in kerbside recycling.

The changes, which are expected to be rolled out in all stores over the coming months, are the latest in a string of updates made by the retailer on packaging.

One of the most recent includes Sainsbury’s decision to replace its plastic packaging with cardboard for all own-brand mushrooms.

It marked the single biggest plastic removal across the retailer’s groceries so far and looks to save Sainsbury’s over 775 tonnes of plastic a year.