Organisation: Sainsbury's

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Sainsbury's attracted solid media review of its 'compostable' packaging initiative. Heralded, by some, as "an environmental revolution" (Daily Telegraph, 8/9) and the "biggest ever initiative to eliminate plastics from Britain's High Street" (let'srecycle.com, 11/9), the retail giant humbly paid tribute to its patrons. "Our customers tell us that food packaging is extremely important to them … so our packaging team has been looking at ways to address these concerns" said Justin King, Sainsbury's Chief Executive (The Guardian, 8/9).

Despite some commentators' sense of fun, "Sainsbury's hopes to woo customers with packaging fit for a compost heap" (Channel4.com, 8/9), there was no mistaking Sainsbury's business acumen. "It makes good business sense for Sainsbury's and they are responding to customers, but it is actually a very welcome initiative" (Vicky Herd - Friends of the Earth, bbc.co.uk, 8/9). A view supported in the City: "Supermarkets … can - and must - compete on their environmental / ethical credentials, as well as price, availability, accessibility" (Rachel Crossley - Insight Investment, Independent, 10/9).

Criticism was limited and muted. Environmentalists provided praise, with a reminder that Sainsbury's was not yet a "green grocer" (Reuters, 8/9), while the British Plastics Federation highlighted consideration for all packaging options "including recycling, composting and energy-from-waste" (Peter Davis - BPF, Plastics & Rubber Weekly, 8/9).