// Sainsbury’s offers refill service as part of a trial
// The grocer aims to provide an alternative to plastic
// Customers can refill selected Ecover cleaning products using bottles that can be used up to 50 times
Sainsbury’s has launched a dish washing and laundry detergent refill service as part of a trial to offer customers an alternative to plastic usage.
The grocer has offered the trial at its Harringay superstore, where customers can refill selected Ecover cleaning products using bottles that can be used up to 50 times.
Sainsbury’s said the refill trial will be extended to a further 19 stores later this year, and aims to save over a million tonnes of plastic per year.
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“Refillable packaging is just one initiative we plan to trial this year and goes to show how a small change can make a big difference,” Sainsbury’s said.
“We look forward to hearing feedback from the trial with a view to rolling out more widely across the estate if successful.”
The initiative comes after the grocer recently pledged to become net zero across its operations by 2040 by taking measures across its operations in recycling, plastic packaging, carbon reduction and biodiversity.
Sainsbury’s is also calling on its suppliers to take action and develop their own environmental goals over the coming years.
Last year, Waitrose launched a scheme where customers were able to fill up or refill their own containers with a range of products in a bid to reduce waste. It initially launched as a trial before being rolled out to several other stores.
M&S stepped-up its commitment to reducing plastic waste by introducing a scheme that encourages customers to bring their own reusable containers to its Market Place food-to-go counters, whereby they receive a 25p discount off each meal for doing so.
More recently, Asda unveiled plans to launch its first sustainability store at its Middleton branch in Leeds as part of its latest commitment to be environmentally friendly.
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