The John Lewis Partnership is to trial reusable cups containing RFID chips used to track their return to a drop-off point.
The RFID chips, which are also in Oyster travel cards in London, are contained in the cup lid and base. Users register their details and can be incentivised to return the cup through texted reminders and charges for keeping it.
The makers of the cup, called CupClub, were selected from over 100 startups who entered a JLP retail innovation programme.
Another three startups were selected to receive expert guidance in the latest round of the JLP’s Jlab programme, in its fifth year.
Read more: JLP introduces first reusable cup made from used paper cups
“Out of the four businesses selected, CupClub, an innovative returnable packaging service for drinks that helps retailers reduce single-use plastic packaging by providing trackable products and utilising RFID technology, will now be trialled,” JLP said.
The cups will be trialled initially in JLP’s headquarters in London’s Victoria, beginning in the next couple of months. “Depending on what happens in that trial, then potentially another trial will happen in a store,” a JLP spokeswoman said.
It’s not yet clear which store the cups may be trialled in or how customers would be incentivised to return them.
In April this year, JLP subsidiary Waitrose announced it was phasing out disposable coffee cups from all its 353 stores.
The three other startups who will receive expert guidance in the Jlab programme are Cuantec, which makes compostable food packaging from natural waste, Replenish, making reusable bottles for liquid concentrates, and RePack, a reusable and returnable e-commerce mail packaging service.
Further discussions will be had on how the three could work with JLP, the retailer said.
Entrants were judged by a panel of experts from the sustainability and investment sector and senior leaders from across JLP.
Read more: Waitrose to remove 5p single-use plastic bags from sale
“It was fantastic to see so much energy from a range of businesses innovating to solve the global plastic problem,” said Benet Northcote, JLP’s director of corporate responsibility.
“We’re passionate about creating a sustainable future for the retail sector and that means changing the way we all use and view plastic. The businesses we’ve selected are truly disruptive and will help towards our own ambitious targets.”
It’s the first time since Jlab’s launch that plastic waste has been a focus.
JLP has committed to make all own-label packaging widely recycled, reusable or home compostable by 2025.
Waitrose, a signatory of the UK Plastics Pact, aims to remove black packaging from meat, poultry and fish by the end of the year, having already removed 65% of it from fruit & vegetables packaging.
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