Common sense dictates that refillable products are far better for the environment, but sustainable packaging experts The LCA Centre quantified the impact. The purchase of a refillable product creates 70% less CO2 emissions, uses 60% less energy, and 45% less water than buying a brand-new bottle. It is going to take time for refill and reuse to become mainstream but innovative brands are doing their part to push sustainability forward. More than half of UK consumers say they’re ready according to a Kantar report from June this year, with 60% of shoppers saying they will use a refill if it is available.

Unilever is a lead partner in Asda’s trial providing seven of its household-name brands including Persil, PG Tips, Radox, Cif, Simple, Pukka, and Alberto Balsam. Trialing three different refill formats, this is the largest of its kind for Unilever in Europe providing a real-world ‘test and learn’ to understand what works best for consumers in a retail environment.

Sebastian Munden, Executive Vice President of Unilever UK and Ireland said, “I am very excited by the potential to test and learn from this fantastic partnership with Asda. It’s a great opportunity for us to find out, across seven of our leading brands, just how shoppers respond to using refillable and reusable packaging in-store. We are all committed to driving lasting change when it comes to plastic, but to do so we must create scalable solutions and make it as easy as possible for people to make sustainable choices.

Middleton store in Leeds relaunched as a pioneering flagship sustainability store comprising a Refill Zone supported by Unilever and sustainability and circular economy experts Beauty Kitchen. The three different refill models trialed inside the store are:

Touch-free Refill Machines (developed by Beauty Kitchen): Beauty and Personal Care brands (Radox shower gel, Simple liquid handwash, and Alberto Balsam shampoo and conditioner) along with Persil laundry liquid will be dispensed in reusable aluminum or stainless steel bottles via three machines using the Return, Refill, Repeat premise. First-time shoppers will be provided with a bottle while returning shoppers will reuse their existing bottles. Once filled, shoppers add their printed label to the bottle and take it to checkout as usual. Each bottle has a unique QR code, a feature that will enable full traceability of each bottle allowing Unilever to track the full buy, use, refill process and gain better insight into the circular model.

The Impact: Together these three Refill Stations could save the equivalent of 30,000 plastic water bottles in just one store in one year.

In-home refills: Cif EcoRefills offer an in-home refill experience and the store will provide shoppers with an entire bay dedicated to the ten times concentrated refill for sprays which allow for the of a Cif spray bottle for life. EcoRefills uses 75% less plastic than the standard cleaning bottle and means 87% fewer trucks on the road.

The Impact: An entire fixture of ten times concentrated spray cleaners across the Asda estate could save 990 tonnes of plastic every year.

Self-serve containers: Unilever tea brands PG Tips and Pukka will be available through self-serve containers or ‘hoppers’ for loose tea and tongs to self-dispense fully biodegradable teabags. Shoppers will be able to take their own reusable container into the store or buy one there. Once their container is full, they take it to the weighing station where a label is printed ready for payment at the checkout.

The Impact: these three Refill Stations could save the equivalent of 30,000 plastic water bottles in just one store in one year.

Jo Chidley, Founder of Beauty Kitchen and sustainability expert comments, “The need to act on the plastic pollution crisis is urgent and focusing consumer behavior on sustainability and cradle to cradle practice is a vital part of the solution. This exciting partnership to power Refill Stations is a pivotal point in creating a sustainable future and instilling a reuse mindset”.