Aldi is expanding its refill stations to more stores as part of its partnership with The Refill Coalition.
According to The Grocer, The Refill Coalition has confirmed that the solution will roll out to a “small number” of the discounter’s stores in the next six months.
The trial with Aldi first launched in its Solihull store last October in an attempt to tackle single-use plastic packaging waste.
The solution – a reusable bulk vessel – has been developed to deliver refills at scale for key food staples such as cereals and pasta, and household products such as cleaning and personal care products, allowing retailers to sell refill products at a cheaper price than their packaged equivalents.
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The coalition, which was created in 2020 by UK refill experts Unpackaged, is also formed of Ocado and supply chain solutions company CHEP.
GoUnpackaged director Helen Clements told The Grocer that initial sales had “exceeded” store expectations at Aldi.
However, founding members of the project, which include supermarket giants Lidl, Sainsbury’s M&S, Morrisons and Waitrose, have since left the partnership.
Waitrose was the most recent grocer to have left, however a spokesperson for the upmarket retailer said in October that it remains in “close contact” with The Refill Coalition and it will be looking into other ways that it can have a “big impact on reducing packaging.”
