Ocado Retail and the Refill Coalition have announced a major new online reusable packaging scheme. Ocado Retail, which is a joint venture between Marks & Spencer Group and Ocado Group, is set to trial reusable packaging in an effort to reduce single use plastics.
The scheme marks the first time a major UK supermarket has introduced reusable packaging at scale as part of its online offering. Prefilled, reusable packaging will be delivered to customers purchasing cupboard staples such as rice and pasta, at no extra cost to consumers. Customers can then return the empty container to their driver once it is no longer needed, with containers then collected from Ocado and washed, before being filled again at the supplier. According to Ocado Retail and the Refill Coalition, each vessel replaces up to five single-use plastic items and is designed to be used over 60 times, leading to a significant reduction in single-use plastic over time. In fact the two companies estimate that if every household in the UK opted to reuse just one item per week, it would eliminate over 1.4 billion items of single-use packaging per year.
Phase One of the trial, which starts this month, will include Ocado Reuse Basmati Rice 2kg and Ocado Reuse Penne Pasta 1kg. Phase Two, coming later this year, will add Ocado Reuse Non-Bio-Liquid Detergent 3L and Ocado Reuse Skies Fabric Conditioner 3L to the trial.
It follows research undertaken by Ocado Retail and Savanta earlier this year which revealed growing public demand to reduce the use of single-use plastic from grocery shops. In a survey of 2,000 consumers, almost three quarters (72%) said that they are 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%) also agreed that more supermarkets should offer refillable options, especially across essential items such as pasta (66%), rice (67%), liquid laundry detergent (50%) and fabric conditioner (46%).
Simon Hinks, Product Director at Ocado Retail said in a press release:
"We’re proud to be the first major supermarket to pilot an online reusable packaging scheme. Most people understand the concept and know it works in a physical store, but this trial brings the solution straight to customers’ doors. 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.”[i]
Reducing packaging waste is a key target for Ocado Retail and the wider business, where last year Ocado (Ocado Retail’s parent) launched a new digital deposit return scheme (DDRS), which was rolled out nationwide within the UK. For the venture, Ocado partnered with recycling technology provider Polytag to host a 12-week trial scheme. During this test Ocado milk bottles were adorned with unique-every-time QR codes, enabling households to scan the milk containers with their smartphones to receive detailed recycling information[ii].
[i] Updated Online Launch Announcement — The Refill Coalition
Lauren has extensive experience as an analyst and market researcher in the digital technology and travel sectors. She has a background in researching and forecasting emerging technologies, with a particular passion for the Videogames and eSports industries. She joined the Critical Information Group as Head of Reports and Market Research at GRC World Forums, and leads the content and data research team at the Zero Carbon Academy. “What drew me to the academy is the opportunity to add content and commentary around sustainability across a wealth of industries and sectors.”
