J Sainsbury : Sainsbury’s rolls out £2 ‘Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me’ fruit and veg boxes to help reduce food waste

20 February 2023

• Sainsbury's is introducing fruit and vegetable boxes at over 200 stores to allow customers to purchase surplus products at a reduced price
• The move is part of the retailer's ongoing commitment to halve its food waste by 2030 whilst also helping customers to access healthy, affordable, and sustainable food
• For just £2, customers will receive a variety of loose fruit and vegetables*

Sainsbury's has announced it is introducing £2 fruit and vegetable boxes, available for customers to purchase from this week onwards. The boxes will now be available in over 200 selected supermarkets across the country, following a successful trial this January.

The 'Taste Me, Don't Waste Me' boxes will include a variety of surplus fresh fruit and vegetables that could have otherwise gone to waste*. The boxes will be sold for a lower price to help ensure customers have access to affordable nutritious food, as the cost of living continues to rise.

Customers can find the boxes in Sainsbury's fresh produce aisles and all products included are carefully selected to ensure they are still fresh. The initiative is part of the retailer's commitment to halve food waste across its value chain by 2030. Last year, Sainsbury's also began removing 'best before' dates from over 100 product lines, including pears, onions, tomatoes and citrus fruits, with over 130 lines to follow, to help customers reduce food waste at home.

Richard Crampton, Director of Fresh Food, at Sainsbury's said, "At Sainsbury's we're committed to helping our customers access tasty, nutritious food that's better for them and the planet too. It's great to see that shoppers have been enjoying the 'Taste Me, Don't Waste Me' boxes, which is why we're really pleased to roll out the trial to over 200 supermarkets, helping even more people across the country. We believe that everyone deserves to eat well at an affordable price, and we hope this additional support will ensure that good quality food doesn't go to waste."

The step is the latest in a string of initiatives Sainsbury's has launched to help customers access affordable fruit and vegetables. Currently, Sainsbury's is offering £2 top-up coupons as part of the Government-funded NHS Healthy Start scheme, to help low-income families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to purchase fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables.

Meanwhile, as part of its commitment to helping customers manage the rising cost of living Sainsbury's has committed to invest £550 million by March 2023 in value, ensuring the products that customers buy most are affordable. Customers can find low prices through popular campaigns including, Aldi Price Match, which currently includes around 300 products, over 180 of which are fresh, including fruit and vegetable favourites such as cauliflower, blueberries, bananas and carrots.

* Some exclusions apply including; any products with a Use by date and products in specialist packaging such as lychees and physalis. Products which contain allergens such as celery and organic products can be included but will need to remain in their packaging.