Sainsbury’s deliver 23 items to shopper in 53 bags - including one for a single mango

A woman has expressed her shock at Sainsbury’s for using 53 bags to deliver just 23 items – including one that carried a single mango.

Mum-of-two Andrea Berry said her shopping was delivered to her home in Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, in “nearly empty bags” after she ordered it online.

Every meat product was double wrapped and packed in separate carriers.

The 38-year-old old described the packaging – that mostly contained one or two items – as “wasteful”.

IT consultant Andrea, who paid £103 for the 23 items, said: “I imagine the pickers go around the aisles and pick things up in order, but they don’t seem to have used any common sense.

“It’s just lazy. It’s probably someone who’s not really thinking about what they are doing, but I’m guessing it happens with all their customers.

“The staff clearly don’t think, ‘I’ve got half a dozen fruit and veg items so they can all go in together’ – even that was divided between three or four bags.

“One bag had a single mango in it.

“The meat was interestingly packed as well. I think I had two packets of mince and some stewing casserole steak, and they put this in individual small bags.

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“Each one was then in a bigger carrier bag, but surely if it’s all meat you can stick it in together.”

Andrea has been ordering online for around five years and gets a regular delivery on a Tuesday morning between 7.30am and 8.30am so it arrives before she takes her son to school.

She added: “This has happened before but this was by far the worst. I would expect 53 items to fit in eight or so bags, definitely half of what was used. It is very wasteful.

“I know I recycle and I hand the bags back to the driver the following week, but I’m guessing a lot of people wouldn’t bother and they will go into a landfill.

“I used to think Sainsbury’s was quite responsible so this has made me think twice about that.”

The supermarket charges a 40p flat rate for bags for online shoppers, so Andrea didn’t have to pay 5p for each one like customers do at the checkout.

If she had been forced to pay the government levy, she would have had to fork out £1.15 just on plastic bags.

Andrea, who works for Hampshire County Council, now plans to write to the manager of her local store to challenge them on their policy.

A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: “We offer our customers the choice of having their orders delivered with plastic bags and without.

“Our drivers will also take back any unwanted bags.”

Top pic: SWNS