Aldi has become the latest retailer to join the UK Refill Coalition’s fight against single-use plastic packaging.
The coalition which was first convened in 2020 by UK refill experts Unpackaged, is also formed of Ocado, Waitrose and supply chain solutions company CHEP and is collaborating to co-design an innovative refill solution.
The solution will reimagine how key food staples such as pasta and grains, and household items such as home and personal care products are supplied, allowing customers to bring their own reusable containers to buy loose products.
The first store is expected to go live later this year focusing on dry goods and if successful, the solution could help to reduce the 56.5 billion units of single-use plastic packaging sold annually in the UK.
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This comes as research shows that 71% of UK adults are open to trying refill stations, with this increasing to 76% among women and 18 to 34 year olds.
While many retailers have trialed or fully introduced refill stations within their stores, the coalition is looking to create an end-to-end solution to achieve scale and has said that in order to do this, industry-wide collaboration is crucial.
Aldi UK plastics and packaging director Luke Emery said: “Aldi is dedicated to reducing single-use plastic, which is why we are pleased to become a member of the Refill Coalition.”
“We look forward to working together with industry partners to offer customers even more convenient and efficient ways to shop plastic-free, and drive further uptake of unpackaged products.”
Unpackaged director Catherine Conway added: “We are delighted that Aldi is joining the Coalition, strengthening the work we have already started, with its unique position as the UK’s leading discounter.
“We look forward to launching the solution later in the year so that refills can become more accessible to UK shoppers who still want to consume less single-use plastic packaging on the items they purchase.”
