Morrisons has launched its new “rentable” boxes at its salad bar in a bid to encourage customers to lunch more sustainably.

The “Refill a Box” will be trialled in four stores and is the first of its kind by a UK supermarket. Each “rentable” box will replace the Big 4 grocer’s large salad box and is made from fully recyclable polypropylene.

The box is designed to be used 400 times to prevent disposable plastic from being used. To use the new boxes, shoppers must register with the CauliBox app and scan the QR code on the Salad Bar point-of-sale.

Boxes must be returned to the drop-off point where they will be machine washed and sanitised before being returned to the pick-up point.

READ MORE: Morrisons partners with Podback to recycle coffee pods

Customers must put down a £5 deposit to use a box which is refunded when the box is returned within seven days.

“Thousands of customers visit our Salad Bars every week – and this is increasing as people go back out to work,” Morrisons environmental packaging manager Lorraine Wheeler said.

“Until now we’ve stocked recyclable single-use plastic containers, but we think customers will be ready to swap to this reusable box – as it’s so simple to use.

“We hope to roll it out to more stores this year.”

The move marks the supermarket’s latest initiative to remove plastic packaging from its stores following its commitment to cutting down plastic packaging by 50% by 2025.

The grocer introduced a refillable container scheme for its customers at its butcher and fishmonger counters in 2018 and was the first supermarket to introduce paper carrier bags at checkouts in 2019.

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