Sainsbury’s quietly axes key service in all stores – and shoppers say it’s a ‘big shame’
SAINSBURY’S has quietly axed a key service at around 250 stores across the country.
The supermarket giant is said to have closed at least 24 of its recycling centres, with the remaining sites facing the chop.
Sainsbury’s has been shutting the sites over the past year, as first reported by The Times.
At the time of writing the chain’s website says it has 275 centres, which are located in supermarket car parks.
The points take metal, paper, glass, cans, batteries and textiles.
No formal announcement has been made, but several shoppers have reported the closures on social media.
One wrote: “I’ve got a car full of cardboard… I took it to Ripley Sainsbury’s Recycle last night, only to find it no longer exists.”
While another said: “Cheers Sainsbury’s I actually use the recycling centre.”
Fellow users replied: “I hope it’s not gone. I use it all the time and it’s always full.”
Another commented: “It is the removal of the ‘little things’ that cause the bigger problems to happen further along the line!”
A fifth said: “Sainsbury’s recycling banks have gone! Hmph.
“They were so handy….”
While a sixth person also said: “Warwick Sainsbury’s no longer has recycling facilities.
“Big shame but hopefully saves you a wasted journey.”
Others had taken to Facebook to complain of fly-tipping and huge overflows of rubbish where the recycling banks had been removed.
One woman posted: “What is going on with the area in Sainsbury’s car park that used to have recycling facilities?
“It is the most hideous mess. I have tried contacting Sainsbury’s management but seems it is impossible to speak to anyone about this.”
The report suggests that many of the sites were closed in September.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson told The Sun: “We want to focus on the areas where we can make the biggest difference and support our customers in their efforts to help the planet.
“As recycling of materials such as glass and cardboard is available from home with local councils, we’re prioritising services at our stores that people cannot get elsewhere.
“For example, all our supermarkets offer flexible plastic recycling.”
Several other supermarkets also offer recycling points within their car parks.
These include Tesco and Morrisons.
You can find your nearest recycling point by typing in your postcode to www.recyclenow.com/recycling-locator.
Meanwhile, hundreds of adults are still confused about what they can and can’t recycle, a report has found.
Plus, you’ve been doing your bins wrong – the most common items that can’t be put in your recycling.
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