Tesco launches zero-waste shopping trial in its Wellingborough supermarket

Tesco's Wellingborough store is one of ten in the supermarket's chain to get first go at its zero-waste shopping service, allowing shoppers to buy groceries from jam to jelly babies in refillable packs.

Customers at ten Tesco stores — also including one in Northampton — can now pick up 88 products in reusable packaging that can be returned for cleaning ready to be used again.

Brands included in the service include Bisto, Brewdog, Bulldog, Carex, Coca-Cola, Ecover, Fever Tree, Finish, Good4U, Heinz Mud House, Naked Noodle, Original Source, Persil, Quaker Oats, Radox, Simple Sipsmiths and Tetley.

Tesco has also added 35 own-brand essentials such as pasta, rice, oil and sugar, with more products to be added throughout the year.

Customers pay a deposit on each piece of packaging at the checkout — from 20p to £5 — which is refunded via an app when the empty item is returned to a collection point in store.

Tesco and Loop claim that if customers in all ten stores spread across the Midlands switch recyclable ketchup, cola and washing-up liquid bottles to reusable Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Coca-Cola and Ecover alternatives, the packaging would be used and reused more than 2,500,000 times a year.

Tesco Group chief executive Ken Murphy said: “We are determined to tackle plastic waste and one of the ways we can help is by improving reuse options available to customers.

“Bringing Loop to our stores is a significant milestone in this journey. With 88 everyday products available, we’re giving customers a wide range of options and we’ll learn as much as we can from this to inform our future packaging plans.”

The introduction of Loop in stores follows a year-long online pilot.

Tom Szaky, founder and chief executive of Loop and its parent company TerraCycle, added: “The consumer reaction to Loop in these first Tesco stores will prove pivotal in refining the Loop offering and ultimately we hope to scale reuse across more stores and the number of product lines available.”