Unilever : announces plans to scale up UK refillable packaging trials

To fulfil the circular process required to create and maintain the refill stations and to collect, clean and return the pre-filled bottles once used, Unilever has extended its partnership with Return•Refill•Repeat, which is pioneered by sustainability and circular economy experts Beauty Kitchen. Providing further insight into the circular model and environmental savings, Return•Refill•Repeat have designed the refillable and reusable stainless-steel and plastic free bottles to track the lifecycle of the bottle and number of times it has been used.

On the expansion of Unilever's refill trials, Sebastian Munden, Unilever UK & Ireland General Manager and Executive Vice-President, said, 'To tackle plastic pollution with the speed and urgency needed, we are committed to creating scalable solutions which make it as easy as possible for people to make sustainable choices.

We believe refills could be a gamechanger in our ambitions to halve our use of virgin plastic by 2025, however unlocking the full potential of the reuse economy would require a significant shift in how people shop. Using our well-known and trusted brands and working closely with retailers, we are testing different refill models on a large scale in order to continue to build our understanding of how to bring about a significant change most effectively.'

Jo-Anne Chidley, Co-Founder of Return•Refill•Repeat explains, 'Our goal is to democratise the circular economy, using Cradle to Cradle design, to work with businesses like Unilever to give consumers access to more sustainable products. By designing packaging to be circular and smart alongside advanced Refill and Return Stations, we are making it accessible for consumers to reduce their plastic consumption, track their impact, and change their behaviour from one of consuming packaging to reusing it.'

Uptake at Unilever's refill trial in Asda's Sustainability Store in Leeds last year exceeded expectations with weekly purchases of Persil from the refill zone reaching a third higher than the equivalent single use pack¹, demonstrating positive intent and consumer behaviour change in-store.