Ocado Retail & UK Refill Coalition launch first major online reusable packaging scheme

Ocado Retail has become the first major supermarket to pilot a new reusable packaging scheme, specially designed for online, in an effort to reduce the use of single-use packaging from customers’ weekly shops.

The trial, staged across two phases, will use a reusable vessel, developed specifically to deliver food cupboard staples and laundry products at scale, with no extra cost to the customer. 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.

The new reusable range will include 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, starting in August, 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.

The reusable container is pre-filled with product and delivered to customers alongside the rest of their Ocado shop. Customers then return the empty container to their next Ocado driver. The containers are then collected from Ocado and hygienically washed before being filled again at the supplier. 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.

Research among more than 2,000 consumers undertaken by Ocado Retail and Savanta revealed that there is growing public demand to reduce the use of single-use plastic from grocery shops. Almost three quarters (72 percent) 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 percent) also agreed that more supermarkets should offer refillable options, especially across essential items such as pasta (66 percent), rice (67 percent), liquid laundry detergent (50 percent) and fabric conditioner (46 percent).

While supermarkets are making steps to reduce plastic packaging, 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, the Government’s EFRA Committee report highlighted that “increasing the uptake of reusable packaging is essential for reducing the total amount of packaging consumed in the UK.” The online and in-store solutions developed by The Refill Coalition are a key step in creating a viable portfolio of standardised solutions that can work industry-wide.

As a founding member of The Refill Coalition and the dedicated online supermarket, Ocado Retail’s aim is to lead on developing an industry standard for online reusable packaging that can be used by any supplier or retailer*. This will enable fast adoption by industry to make reusable packaging available to every UK customer.

GoUnpackaged, the UK’s refill experts that convened the coalition in 2020, will manage the washing and logistics for Ocado Retail for this part of the trial.

The Refill Coalition has jointly made the following statement: “We are delighted to see Ocado Retail bring a direct to consumer reusable packaging solution to market. As a Coalition we share the mutual objective of reducing single-use plastic packaging and believe that the solutions we have developed present a landmark opportunity for us to make a step change in the commercialisation of reusable packaging which we know can play a significant role in the reduction of single-use plastic packaging.”

Simon Hinks, Product Director at Ocado Retail: “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.”

Rob Spencer, Director at GoUnpackaged: “We are proud to have convened the Refill Coalition to enable the necessary collaboration to bring these new solutions to market. An industry-wide approach will lead to a reuse system that works for everyone in the supply chain and make it easier for shoppers to engage with reuse via online shopping. GoUnpackaged is delighted to be partnering with Ocado Retail to manage the washing and logistics of the consumer vessels for this trial.”

Paul Davidson, Director of the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) Challenge, which is delivered by Innovate UK and has co-funded the work of the Refill Coalition, said: “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. 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.”

*Since October 2023, Aldi UK has trialled the Refill Coalition’s vessel-based in-store refill solution in two stores and are showing promising results. Across the trial stores, the loose products available via the refill solution are contributing up to 30 percent of sales within their categories, alongside their single-use packaged versions.