The trials include the offering of Unilever’s Persil, Simple, Radox and Alberto Balsam in pre-filled bottles at selected Asda and Co-op stores
Unilever has expanded refillable packaging trials across the UK. (Credit: Unilever)
Consumer goods firm Unilever has expanded its refillable packaging trials across the UK, as part of its sustainable efforts.
The expanded trials consist of its first return on the go pilot, which enables shoppers to take a pre-filled stainless steel bottle from the shelf and return it in-store once used.
Last year, Unilever launched its European in-store refill trial in Asda’s sustainability store in Leeds.
As part of expanded trials, Unilever will now offer its UK brands such as Persil, Simple, Radox and Alberto Balsam in pre-filled bottles at selected Asda and Co-op stores by the end of this year.
The consumer goods company is also planning to continue the testing of the refill on the go concept, which will allow consumers to purchase and refill reusable stainless steel bottles using a standalone refill machine.
Unilever stated that the new test-and-learn trials will be the first of their kind at this scale in the UK.
It intends to assess different refill models, store formats and in-store locations, in addition to different shopper experiences that may help long-term use of refillable products.
Unilever UK & Ireland EVP and general manager Sebastian Munden said: “To tackle plastic pollution with the speed and urgency needed, we must create scalable solutions which make it as easy as possible for people to make sustainable choices.
“We believe refills could be a game-changer in our ambitions to halve our use of virgin plastic by 2025; however, unlocking the full potential of the reuse economy requires a shift in mindset of how people shop.
“We are testing different refill models on a large scale in order to continue to build our understanding of how to enable this change most effectively.”