Tag: single-use plastic

Morrisons introduces rentable boxes at salad bars to remove single-use plastic

Morrisons is introducing new ‘rentable’ boxes on its Salad Bar in four trial stores to allow customers to lunch more sustainably. It has also removed plastic cutlery from all stores.

The Refill a Box scheme is the first of its kind to be trialled by a UK supermarket. Each ‘rentable’ box will replace Morrisons large salad box and is made from fully recyclable polypropylene. The boxes are designed to be used 400 times to prevent disposable plastic containers from being used.

To use the new boxes, customers must first download the CauliBox app[1], register, tap on ‘scan to take a box’ and insert their card details. Customers can then scan the QR code on the Salad Bar point-of-sale, collect an empty box from a Salad Bar colleague, fill it with salad products, then pay at the till as normal.

Boxes should be returned to the Refill a Box drop-off point at the Salad Bar when customers next visit and the QR code scanned again.

They will be thoroughly machine washed and sanitised, before being returned to the pick-up point for another use. A £5 deposit is held whilst customers use the box, which is refunded when the box is returned within seven days.

Lorraine Wheeler, Environmental Packaging Manager at Morrisons, said: “Thousands of customers visit our Salad Bars every week – and this is increasing as people go back out to work.

“Until now we’ve stocked recyclable single-use plastic containers, but we think customers will be ready to swap to this reusable box – as it’s so simple to use. We hope to roll it out to more stores this year.”

Reducing the amount of single-use plastic in stores is a top concern for Morrisons customers. Morrisons has committed to a 50 per cent reduction across its own brand primary plastic packaging by 2025. 

Since 2017 Morrisons has reduced its own brand plastic packaging by over 8,000 tonnes a year and replaced another 7,000 tonnes so that it is fully recyclable.

The move to refillable boxes is the latest initiative from Morrisons to remove plastic packaging from its stores and follows other commitments. 

Morrisons introduced a refillable container scheme for its customers at its butcher and fishmonger counters in 2018 and was the first supermarket to introduce paper carrier bags at checkouts in 2019. Morrisons is also the only UK supermarket to own its own recycling plant in Fife which will reprocess hard-to-recycle soft plastic.

For more information, please visit: https://www.morrisons-corporate.com/morrisons-sustainability/planet/plastics/.

Morrisons offers free water refills to customers at its forecourts

Morrisons is offering free water refills nationwide at all of its petrol forecourts, as well as in store, to encourage customers and motorists to make the switch from single-use plastic to refillable bottles. 

Over 14 billion single-use plastic bottles are used each year in the UK – equal to 39 million a day – with the majority purchased on-the-go or at work. However, new research has found that 63 per cent of people would like to do more to reduce plastic, but claim the biggest barrier to taking action is a lack of plastic free alternatives.

At Morrisons petrol forecourt kiosks, customers will now be able to hand their reusable bottles to attendants who will fill them up for free, before sanitising them and returning them to the customer. The service will be available at all of Morrisons 338 filling stations nationwide.

The move comes after a 12 week Morrisons trial in August 2020 where 18 per cent fewer single-use water bottles were sold, in comparison to the same period the previous year. Morrisons is therefore extending the refill service following the trial’s success. 

Morrisons has already installed over 300 stand-alone water fountains in the Food-to-Go sections of its stores for customers to fill their bottles on-the-go. It was also one of the first to offer water refills in all of its cafe stores nationwide in 2018. 

Natasha Cook, Sustainability Manager at Morrisons, said:“When we listen to customers, it’s clear they want us to help them reduce the amount of single-use plastic they throw away.

“We know that customers often pick up a bottle of water when paying for petrol, so offering free water should be an effective way of reducing these single-use plastic bottles.” 

Natalie Fée, CEO and founder of City to Sea, said: “Plastic water bottles are one of the most commonly found single-use plastic items on our beaches and in our oceans, which is why we have to make refilling our water bottles the new normal.

“Our free Refill app shows you where you can top up your bottle for free and now includes the 338 Morrisons petrol stations – which is absolutely brilliant news for people and the planet!

“But this isn’t just about water, it’s about all highly polluting single-use plastics. That’s why Refill now shows you where you can eat, drink and shop with less plastic and why City to Sea welcomed the fantastic news of Morrisons trialling refillable milk bottles back in store. Refill and reuse is the future of packaging, and Morrisons are taking big steps in helping us on this journey.”

Free petrol station and in store refills is the latest plastic reduction initiative from Morrisons who has reduced plastic in their 497 stores by over 8,000 tonnes of our own brand plastic packaging since 2017.  

Other moves include Morrisons being the first supermarket to ditch plastic carrier bags in favour of paper carrier bags, using traditional paper bags for loose fruit and vegetables, plus introducing a refillable container service on fish, meat and deli counters to reduce single-use packaging. 

Customers can locate refill stations by using the Refill App and www.refill.org.uk.