Ocado Retail has launched a pilot of an online reusable packaging scheme, claiming to be the first major supermarket to do so.
The trial will see a customers shop a small range of products that will be delivered in a pre-filled reusable vessel, “developed specifically to deliver food cupboard staples and laundry products at scale”.
Once used or decanted, customers then return the empty vessel to the Ocado driver when they next deliver.
The containers are then collected from Ocado and hygienically washed before being filled again at the supplier.
The new reusable range includes “frequently purchased items to reduce the use of single-use plastic on everyday items while providing the same quality and value”. Phase one of the trial, beginning this month, includes Ocado Reuse Basmati Rice 2kg and Ocado Reuse Penne Pasta 1kg. The second phase, coming later this year, will add Ocado Reuse Non-Bio-Liquid Detergent 3L and Ocado Reuse Skies Fabric Conditioner 3L to the selection.
“Most people understand the concept and know it works in a physical store but this trial brings the solution straight to customers’ doors,” said Simon Hinks, product director at Ocado Retail. “Our customers are already used to giving their bags back to our drivers for recycling – so this is a really sensible next step for us to help our customers reduce single-use plastic on products they buy frequently.”
The trial is in collaboration with The Refill Coalition – of which Ocado is a founding member – and GoUnpackaged, which will manage the washing and logistics for Ocado Retail.
Each of the reusable vessels replaced up to five single-use plastic items, Ocado Retail said, and was designed to be used more than 60 times, “leading to a significant reduction in single-use plastic over time”.
The trial comes amid growing demand among consumers for retailers to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics.
A survey of 2,000 consumers undertaken by Ocado Retail and Savanta revealed almost three quarters (72%) were concerned about the amount of waste generated by single-use packaging of grocery products, with one in three opting to use retailers that provide refillable options for their pantry staples.
The majority of consumers (73%) agreed that more supermarkets should offer refillable options, especially across essential items.
Figures from this year’s Big Plastic Count estimate that up to 90 billion units of single-use plastics are sold by the UK grocery market each year. Last year, an Efra Committee report highlighted that “increasing the uptake of reusable packaging is essential for reducing the total amount of packaging consumed in the UK”.
“Online retail offers a unique opportunity to develop and embed reuse and refill in our everyday shopping experience and we are delighted to see the Ocado Retail trial going live,” said Paul Davidson, director of the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging challenge, which is delivered by Innovate UK and has co-funded the work of the Refill Coalition.
“The trial will provide the opportunity to explore how refill can be made convenient and habit-forming for consumers and empower them to make a real contribution to reducing single-use plastic packaging through their online shopping.”
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