Ocado Retail and UK Refill Coalition launch reusable packaging scheme for online orders

09 Aug 2024 --- Ocado Retail and UK Refill Coalition have pioneered a reusable packaging scheme designed specifically for online deliveries. The initiative aims to reduce the reliance on single-use packaging, marking a step toward more sustainable practices for grocery shopping.

The trial features a specially developed reusable vessel intended for the large-scale delivery of food cupboard staples and laundry products. The new scheme comes at no additional cost to consumers. According to the supermarket, reusing just one item per household each week could eliminate over 1.4 billion single-use packaging items annually across the UK.

Megan Adams, program manager of Refill Coalition, tells Packaging Insights: “Creating a new way of shopping without single-use plastic packaging and making it work across a whole supply chain was never the easiest of challenges but we’re really pleased that Ocado has now launched.”

Trial for reusable packaging
The trial is set to unfold in two phases. Phase One of Ocado’s trial, commencing this month, will introduce reusable packaging for Ocado Reuse Basmati Rice and Ocado Reuse Penne Pasta. 

Phase Two, set to launch later in the year, will expand the range to include Ocado Reuse Non-Bio Liquid Detergent and Ocado Reuse Skies Fabric Conditioner. This phased approach ensures a smooth rollout and allows for adjustments based on customer feedback and logistical considerations.

The reusable containers are pre-filled with products and delivered to customers alongside their regular Ocado orders. Once the products are used, customers return the empty containers to their next Ocado delivery driver. 

The returned vessels are then collected, hygienically washed, and refilled by the supplier, ready to be reused. Each vessel can replace up to five single-use plastic items and is designed to be used over 60 times, offering a reduction in single-use plastic waste over time. 

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

By embracing refill packaging, the industry can take a further step toward a sustainable future for grocery shopping (Image credit: Gounpackaged).Ocado’s trial aligns with the broader efforts of the coalition, which launched a similar pilot program last fall. This initiative aims to refill key food staples and household products through reusable bulk vessels, targeting dry goods like cereals and pasta.

“The in-store standardized refill solution is currently live in two Aldi stores, and this Ocado launch represents the launch of the online standardized solution. The two solutions have been designed with shared assets at the heart of the solutions, and as such are very much open for other retailers to join the system,” says Adams. 

Innovative solutions
Simon Hinks, product director at Ocado Retail, explains that most people understand the concept and know refill packaging works in a physical store. This trial, however, is bringing the solution straight to customers’ doors.

Adams shares that in order to make such a  packaging scheme possible for online shopping, during the development phases, one challenge was creating containers that consumers would not want to keep — what they call “charmingly ugly” — and supporting this with encouragement to return the containers as quickly as possible. 

Another challenge was designing containers that work for liquids and dry goods, which required clever tooling to adjust the aperture at the top of the containers.

A key challenge in implementation was making decisions about deposits, according to the program manager. “You will notice that there are no deposits for the customer when purchasing these products on Ocado, as they want it to be as accessible as possible.”

“The trial will provide the opportunity to explore how refill can be made convenient and habit-forming for consumers,” says Paul Davidson, director of the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge.

Push for refillable options
These efforts come in response to the UK government’s recent ban on all types of single-use plastics and the growing public demand for reducing single-use plastics in grocery shopping.

Research conducted by Ocado Retail and Savanta reveals that nearly three-quarters (72%) of consumers are concerned about the waste generated by single-use packaging, with one in three welcoming retailers that offer refillable options for pantry staples.

Furthermore, the majority of consumers (73%) agree that more supermarkets should provide refillable options, especially for essential items such as pasta (66%), rice (67%), liquid laundry detergent (50%) and fabric conditioner (46%).

At the moment, the UK packaging industry is urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s newly elected Labour government to invest in and support legislation for material circularity. Advocates suggested that moving toward a world free from toxic plastics should be seen as an opportunity for the country’s economic growth.

By Sichong Wang