Loop X Tesco collaboration

Tesco, the UK’s largest groceries retailer, last week launched a partnership with Loop for what they describe as a ‘ground breaking’ trial that will bring “your favourite products to your door in reusable packaging, cutting down on plastic waste”.

We thought it important to keep our supporters in the loop about this and to let you know which bits we welcome and which bits we feel aren’t quite right.

The scheme, in general, shows the sort of brilliant simplicity we have long advocated for in getting reusables to be the new norm. You get your products delivered to your door, then super simply you put the used empty packaging into the reusable tote and request a free pick-up and refill. If this trial is a success and Tesco’s can mainstream this model, then it could be the game-changer that they claim.

Viva la #ReusableRevolution!

But what about water? Water is the healthiest, cheapest, and easiest of products to Refill from home. It comes out of our taps and doesn’t need to be packaged. In the UK we have some of the safest and cleanest drinking water in the world.

On this the Loop scheme misses the golden rule – the simplest solution is nearly always the best. Instead of encouraging customers to Refill at home straight from the tap, the new scheme tries to sell packaged water through reusable containers.

City to Sea is concerned having packaged water sends the wrong message. Instead of getting people to pay someone to drive water across the country to them, Tesco and Loop could be directing people to the 30,000 businesses offering free Refills across the UK. This is the low cost, low carbon and plastic-free option that has to be at the heart of the reusables revolution.

This is why our number one piece of advice remains to buy yourself a bottle, download the Refill App and Refill both at home and when you’re out and about.

As the largest supermarket chain in the UK, we’d love Tesco to join the Refill campaign and become a Refill Station. They’d be in great company! Retailers Morrisons, Better Food and Wholefoods Market are all on board and they could add a whopping 3,000+ new Refill Stations to the map.