We're going Saus-tainable
See our plan on how we are going to bite in and make a change
The journey so far
We’ve been the movers and shakers of sustainable packaging in our industry since way back.
We’re first to phase out Styrofoam trays from our small goods department and move to PET trays you can recycle at home.
We partnered up with NZ packaging producers and eliminated 56 tonnes of new plastic coming into NZ, in just one year, by introducing rPET into our trays – that’s PET you’ve recycled at home, being re-processed into our trays!
We set an ambitious goal that by 2025 ALL our packaging will be recyclable
Trialling of new materials is well underway at our Kaiapoi plant
All our packaging is recycable
We’re going to be rolling out really clear disposal instructions on all our packaging for you.
Meat trays
We recently trialled a 100% recyclable sausage tray as part of our ongoing commitment to reduce packaging waste and support a more sustainable future. This trial was successful and we are now going live with the new trays!
We are now focused solely on sausage trays made with mono-PET, a material that’s designed to be recycled through kerbside systems. You may spot a temporary label on packs in-store.
This is our way of sharing the journey and showing you the steps we’re taking behind the scenes.
It will also explain the different look and feel of the trays. We are going live from 23 June 2025 in the South Island and late July in the North Island
Soft Plastic packs
The bags our precooked sausages and brats come in should be rinsed thoroughly and returned to store to be recycled via the New Zealand Soft Plastics recycling scheme.
To find out which store closest to you takes soft plastic please click here
Rigid Plastic packs
Any deli packs of ham and salami are a little bit trickier to recycle.
New Zealand doesn’t yet have the right infrastructure to recycle these packs, so in the meantime, please put these packs into your normal rubbish bin. We’ll be pushing government and industry towards getting a better solution.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
We love being New Zealand’s Butcher. Our country and our community have always been a big part of our business and we want to look after them. We understand the importance of reducing our carbon footprint by creating a saus-tainable business.
Our packaging goal is one thing, our emissions reduction goal is another: we’re going to have net zero emissions by 2030!
We’ve reviewed our group-wide operation and put a decarbonization pathway in place.
Pathway to Net Zero
The team here have developed a pathway forward to ensure we’re on schedule to meet our emissions target! We’re looking at lots of ways to see more energy efficient processes in our business. Our major projects toward decarbonisation include:
- Moving away from fossil fuel boilers to electric
- Converting away from our current refrigerants and coolants to those with a lower global warming potential
- Converting our fleet over to EV
Food Safety remains top priority
Throughout the food industry, safety has to be the number one priority at every stage, and it’s crucial to the way we do everything at Hellers. Plastic plays a key role in keeping our products fresh and reducing food waste. Our aim is to use it where it makes sense and educate people on their role. We’re always looking for ways to improve.