Ocado is launching a new trial in a bid to drive up the use of refill technology and cut plastic use.
The online giant has employed tech company Polytag to roll out QR code technology across 60 of its packaged dry food and cleaning products in refillable containers.
It aims to reduce single-use plastic and encourage reuse behaviours by using the information accessible from the codes to educate customers on how to take part in the refill scheme and return their products.
It follows a successful trial in 2023, which saw Polytag and Ocado Retail pilot a nationwide digital deposit return scheme (DDRS) trial offering 20,000 20p rewards to consumers that had purchased – and recycled – Ocado’s milk bottles via standard kerbside collection.
The new trial will attempt to show that the technology can provide provide brands and retailers with a direct-to-consumers marketing channel on a national scale.
It will work by customers scanning the codes with their smartphone and being taken to a landing page with bespoke and specific information on the products.
“We are proud to be the first major supermarket to pilot an online reusable packaging scheme,” said Laura Fernandez, senior packaging and sustainability manager at Ocado Retail.
“Polytag’s QR codes give us the opportunity to explain how reusing can eliminate single-use packaging, and how easy and convenient the Ocado solution is, right to their doors. We continue to expand the number of Ocado Own Range products featuring Polytag QR codes, reflecting our growing focus on digital solutions to communicate key information and messaging to our customers.”
Read more:
-
Ocado Own Range adds British beans, with own label now representing a tenth of items sold
-
Is Ocado’s ‘female founders’ aisle positive discrimination?
-
Ocado Group appoints tech veteran as new chair
-
Ocado extends online reusable packaging scheme
Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, said: “Surpassing 60 products with Ocado Retail – including its new refillable options – is a step forward in making sustainable shopping more accessible.
“By integrating our Digital Link QR codes, powered by GS1, we’re providing new ways to quantify the success of sustainability programmes and enabling the reuse process all through accurate tracing of packaging through the supply chain.”
Anne Godfrey, CEO of GS1, added: “Improving the way we recycle is not merely a regulatory requirement, it is a vital component of our shared responsibility to protect the planet. By adopting GS1 standards and QR codes powered by GS1, businesses can lead the charge in transforming recycling into an efficient, user-friendly process that aligns with consumer needs.”
No comments yet