Nine major UK supermarkets have pledged to explore one-size-fits-all refillable packaging to slash waste.
Chain grocers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Aldi released a joint “statement of intent” on reducing single-use containers by 2030.
They pointed to research showing that if 30 per cent of packaging was reused then producers would save over £100 million in taxes annually and there would be a dramatic cut in carbon emissions.
The UK Plastics Pact Grocery Retailer statement of intent said the supermarkets, which also include Asda, Co-op and Lidl, had “a common ambition to work together to enable increased consumer adoption and participation in a circular economy”.
This would be achieved “by exploring how reusable packaging (with a focus on prefill) could be implemented through interoperable systems” the firms added.
“Recognising the challenges to achieving this at scale, we intend to collaborate on an approach that has the potential to deliver a reduction in single use packaging by 2030.”
Morrisons, Ocado and Waitrose are also part of the consortium, which is supported by the Waste and Resources Action Programme and the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments.
James Bull, chair of the retailer group, said: “Today’s joint statement of intent is an important first step in realising our collective ambition. It also signposts to our wider supply chains our intent to build reuse at scale, increase circularity in our packaging and help customers move away from single use to a more reusable future.”
