Tesco has admitted that introducing reusable packaging into supermarkets is still a ‘radical change’ which will need a ‘behavioural shift’ from consumers before it can be accepted.
The UK’s largest supermarket also warned that the cost-of-living crisis could prevent retailers and brands looking to run reusable grocery initiatives as consumer continue to focus on affordability over sustainability.
The retailer recently ended its one-year in-store trial with Loop, the zero-waste refill service which allowed shoppers to buy products in reusable packaging.
Initially launched in ten Tesco stores as part of the supermarket’s 4R ‘Remove, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ plan to transform packaging, the initiative allowed consumers to pay a refundable deposit of between 20p and £1 for each item of reusable packaging, encouraging customers to return it.
Tesco has now published a report outlining its shared learnings from the trial, in which it said the pilots confirmed that pre-fill shopping was most popular among a “small percentage” of eco-conscious shoppers.
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The supermarket claims its surveys show the public is “yet to fully appreciate the differences and benefits of reuse over recycling,” and that the investment required to deploy reuse at scale is “significant”, as it requires retailers to operate with manufacturers to create new production lines.
The Loop pilot showed the cost of cleaning and prefilling reusable packaging could cost more than the product inside, and adding to that, reusable packaging often costs more to produce ‘per unit’ than disposable packaging.
“Work is needed to be done to encourage a cultural and behavioural shift from customers,” Tesco responsible sourcing director Giles Bolton said.
“Reuse represents a radical change in the shopping experience and while customers support the environmental principle, industry, policymakers and supply chains will need to work hard and work collectively support and incentivise customers to adopt new shopping behaviours, while ensuring they don’t come at a cost to shoppers.”
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