Refill and reuse growing in value
The Refill Coalition says it has proved the viability of its refill and reuse solutions following a successful trial period.
It will be sharing its learnings through an industry webinar and white paper with accompanying independent Life Cycle Assessment to be published in May.
The Refill Coalition includes Ocado Retail, Aldi UK and the supply chain solutions company CHEP. It was convened in 2020 by GoUnpackaged, as part of an Innovate UK-funded project that ends in March 2025.
The coalition co-designed two reusable packaging solutions to reduce the 90 billion units of single-use plastics sold annually by UK grocers.
One was an online-consumer-sized vessel that has been tested with Ocado and is prefilled with product, to be returned to the driver when empty. Each is reported to replace up to five single-use plastic packs.
The other was an in-store solution with Aldi to replace current standard bulk dispensers with reusable vessels at a refill station. Customers bring their own packaging to refill and use an improved weighing system. Each of these is said to replace up to 24 single-use plastic packs.
Ocado's reuse offer has been available to 65% of its customer base since August 2024, with reported high-customer satisfaction and a sales share of 16% compared to single-use equivalents. The grocer aims to continue to offer all current products.
Aldi tested their refill solution in Solihull and Leamington Spa, which was similarly positive, says the coalition. Refills were consistently reaching 30% of sales and up to 50% some weeks.
This news comes as the Reuse Network says impact of UK reuse charities must be recognised and supported by the government to help achieve ambitious circular economy goals.
Last year, the Reuse Network reported that its members reused more than two million items that would otherwise have been discarded.
It says the number of items reused had dropped by 1.5 million in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as continued economic pressures have resulted in a decline in donations to reuse charities across the UK.
Meanwhile, Tech-Takeback has released a report on the Social Value of Reuse, funded by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management.
The appliance recovery service says that in 2023-24 product reuse in the resource and waste management sector generated between £120mln and £346mln in social value.
