Sainsbury’s innovates own-brand toilet rolls reducing plastic by 30%

Sainsbury’s has announced the launch of its new own-brand double length toilet rolls, designed to help customers reduce plastic waste at home. The new multipack rolls include double the number of sheets on each roll compared to the retailer’s standard offerings and on average use 30%¹ less plastic. The products are available across Sainsbury’s ‘Super Soft’ and ‘House 247’ ranges². 

The double toilet rolls are estimated to save a total of 84 tonnes of plastic and 164 tonnes of cardboard from card cores (50%). By fitting more paper onto each roll, the toilet rolls take up less space. This reduction will lead to removing 28% of lorries from the roads required for supplier transportation, minimising the impact on the environment ³. 

The new double toilet rolls are now available in-store and online, costing from £1.75 for a multipack of two double rolls which equates to the same quantity of sheets in a four-pack of standard toilet rolls. Lasting longer and now lower in cost, the new double toilet rolls are just another way Sainsbury’s offers customers high-quality and great value. 

All toilet roll plastic packaging is recyclable. Customers can simply bring it to one of Sainsbury’s front-of-store flexible plastics recycling points. The points are available in all Sainsbury’s UK supermarkets, helping customers to correctly dispose of flexible plastic packaging. 

The move is the latest in a string of plastic reductions as part of the retailer’s ongoing commitment to halve its own brand plastic packaging by 2025. Sainsbury’s recently launched its 1L refillable handwash pouches, which use 85%⁴ less plastic, removing 28 tonnes of plastic every year⁵ and are 35% lower in cost compared to the equivalent bottles. This month, the retailer will also be switching its double strength squash bottles to quadruple strength squash bottles, saving 177 tonnes of plastic per year and lasting four times longer than single strength squash bottles.

In addition, Sainsbury’s is announcing its support of #GetOnARoll campaign with Bowel Cancer UK, pledging its support to raise awareness of symptoms and signs of the disease. Sainsbury’s will be placing Bowel Cancer UK’s logo and list of bowel cancer symptoms across ranges of own-branded paper toilet roll packs which will be rolled out across all Sainsbury’s stores and online starting from October 2022⁶. The campaign aims to help millions of people across the UK know how to spot the signs of bowel cancer and encourage them to contact their GP if they experience any symptoms.

¹ Based on data from the supplier, Sofidel and is the average plastic reduction across the six SKUs moving to double roll. This is based on the old single roll plastic weight versus the new double roll plastic weight.

² SKUs include:
•Super Soft TT 440sh 2X12 Roll White
• Super Soft TT 440sh 4RX8 Roll White
• Super Soft TT 440sh 4RX8 Roll Natural
• Super Soft TT 440sh 8RX4Roll White
• House 247 toilet tissue 4 Double Roll
• House 247 supreme toilet tissue 9 Double Roll

³Based on data from the supplier, Sofidel, using four months forecast of sales between December 2021 and March 2022 and then multiplying the total four-month data by three to give 12 month sales.

⁴Based on plastic weight per g compared with 4 x 250ml The Collection bottles

⁵ Based on the assumption people who currently buy 500ml refill bottles would switch to buying the 1l refill pouch

⁶ Subject to printing and distribution