M&S is launching a trial of refillable own-brand cleaning and laundry products, as part of its pledge to reduce and remove plastic packaging, as well as offering customers more sustainable options.
The grocer’s ‘Refillable’ range allows customers to choose from eight pre-filled, own-brand homecare products, which includes cleaning sprays, laundry detergents, fabric conditioners and washing up liquids.
In partnership with Re, the scheme will initially be available in ’ recently opened Stevenage store and in Bluewater, before being extended to an additional four stores over the summer.
These locations include Stratford City, Hedge End, Aintree and York Vangarde Retail Park.
READ MORE: M&S partners with national football teams for healthy eating
Customers will need to pay an initial £2 deposit for the reusable bottle, with a range of 500ml, 750ml and 1L sizes on offer, which can be returned to store after use. When returned, customers will receive a £2 voucher which can be redeemed against a second purchase in the M&S Refillable range.
The retailer revealed, all returned bottles, will be cleaned and refilled before returning to store to be sold again.
Cleaning spray and washing-up liquid bottles will also include a fully recyclable spray trigger or pump that can be recycled at home or returned to store.
“At M&S, we want to help our customers live more sustainably by transforming how we sell our products. We know they care deeply about reducing plastic so we’re taking a test and learn approach to find innovative solutions,” M&S Food head of sustainability Lucinda Langton said.
“Our homecare trial builds on our refillable and packaging-free Fill Your Own concept, and both are important parts of our strategy to reduce plastic and packaging. Fill Your Own has already been hugely popular – showing there is high demand for refillable great value options – and if customers love M&S Refillable just as much, we’ll be rolling it out to more stores.”
M&S Refillable builds on the supermarket’s existing efforts to help customers shop more sustainably.
Launched in December 2019, M&S’ packaging-free Fill Your Own concept is estimated to have removed 350,000 units of single-use packaging.
Now available in fourteen stores, customers have a choice of over 60 refillable grocery products, including pasta, rice, cereal and nuts.
Click here to sign up to Grocery Gazette’s free daily email newsletter
1 Comment. Leave new
Very good reading