Supermarkets must by the end of next year identify at least one key food category that could switch the entirety of its operations to refillable or reusable packaging, under a new action plan set out by Wrap today.
While the document does not set an exact date for that to happen, it says that 30% of all own-label product sales, by volume, should be delivered in either refillable or reusable packaging by 2035.
Meanwhile, the government has been urged to draw up regulations from 2025 onwards that would “obligate” the massive shift by retailers and suppliers, with the future deposit return scheme and the plastic tax also modelled to incentivise companies.
The guidance follows crunch talks earlier this month between supermarkets and suppliers in the pioneering UK Plastics Pact, which has been staring at possible failure thanks to a series of setbacks in the progress toward refillable and reusable solutions.
Earlier this month, Asda scrapped its flagship store trials of refillable packaging technology. The trials had featured huge refill stations offering staples from the likes of PG Tips, Vimto, Kellogg’s, Radox and Persil, allowing customers to bring their own containers to fill up on items such as tea, coffee, rice, pasta and washing powder.
Other retailers, including Morrisons and M&S, have also canned trials of refill aisles, citing lack of appetite from consumers and the impact on store environment. In 2022, Tesco quietly wound up its trial with reusable packaging company Loop, citing economic barriers.
Wrap’s report warns that recycling alone will not solve the plastic crisis and has set out a timetable for the industry to act to remove millions of tonnes of single-use plastic.
It says by 2025, retailers must review their product categories to identify opportunities to move from single-use to reusable or refillable packaging. They must also agree with their supply chain at least one key category and relevant reusable or refillable packaging model to target for the transition.
Supermarkets are urged to work together to co-design the scaling up of the technology and collaborate with their supply chains and Wrap to adopt best practice.
Wrap has secured funding from the government to include information about reuse and refill locations on its Recycle Now website, in a bid to encourage more uptake from consumers, a sticking point in some trials. The Grocer revealed this month that combined sales revenue across the four Asda trial stores from the refill aisles was sometimes as low as £1,000 a week.
The site will enable shoppers to enter their postcode and find local reuse/refill stations.
Wrap said the timescale of the plans would be challenging for businesses but it was not insurmountable “if industry collaborate”.
The body is calling for regulation from the new Labour government to back the necessary changes.
The document says ministers should “engage with industry on the proposed regulation for ‘obligated reuse’ from 2025 onwards”.
It adds: “Existing and future policy must be designed to incentivise reusable/refillable packaging systems and support their transition to being mainstream.
“Reuse and refill systems are coming, and it’s critical that we collaborate to prepare and get it right,” said Wrap head of material systems Helen Bird.
“Standardisation and easy access are going to be central to provide a convenient and cost-effective service for shoppers.
“Our guide will help businesses consider their current packaging portfolio and identify the opportunities to move from single-use plastics to reuse and refill packaging on a range of products, and ditch disposable plastic as their customers demand.
“Reuse and refill will be a key element of the UK Plastics Pact’s goals as we consider the next phase of the industry agreement, providing a forum for industry to convene in a pre-competitive space.”‘’
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