U.K.’s Asda to trial refillable packaging
- Filed in:
- Reusability,
- Non-food
According to the Packaging News, U.K. supermarket Asda will begin trials in September of refillable packaging for its own-brand fabric conditioner in order to directly engage customers with packaging reduction.
Julian Walker-Palin, Asda head of corporate policy for sustainability and ethics, told the publication that refillable packaging was the logical next step in offering customer green choices. "There are benefits for the whole supply chain," he said. “Manufacturers don't have to pack bottles, more product can be fitted on to distribution trucks and consumers use less packaging.”
Eziserv, a provider of in-store dispensing systems, is supplying the machinery for the trials. The company previously worked with Asda on a similar project in 1998, when sales of the own-brand product rose three times to the detriment of branded products.
The fabric conditioner will be transported through the existing supply chain, will be stored in the back of the shop and will be piped on to the shop floor. Asda hopes that reusing the pouch will save up to 90% packaging and could be reused around 10 times.
Read the complete story at “Asda set to trial refillable packaging.”
* indicates an article that was submitted directly to this Web site by the supplier, and was not handled by the Greener Package editorial staff.
Greener Package may share your contact information with our sponsors, as detailed in our Privacy Policy. Greener Package will not share your information with a sponsor whose content you have not reviewed. The members of the Advisory Board and Expert Network do not review, approve or endorse advertisements on this Web site.
The concept of vending machines is well understood of course, but can anyone really see this concept taking over in any meaningful sense, apart from some very narrow categories? The customer has to remember to bring the bottle, it has to be refilled and then charged for. There is a potential slip hazard in the store floor. Once the novelty has worn off, there would have to be a substantial financial incentive to persuade people to keep refilling through the machine. The machine was electrically operated, I notice, with screens providing information, and presumably still requires refilling using a container of some sort. Unless there is a sustainable energy source powering it, I wonder whether it is actually greener. Maybe the greenest solution is to use only soap powder, and not a 'fabric conditioner' at all?
Post new comment