Amcor has stated it will continue to produce bespoke containers for the Refill Coalition’s ongoing work with Ocado Retail, allowing online orders for products such as pasta, rice and washing liquid to be delivered in refillable packaging.
Consumers are encouraged to hand back empty containers to their driver on the next delivery, and they will then be cleaned ready for reuse.
Trialling of the scheme began in 2024, and a new report published by the Refill Coalition’s facilitator GoUnpackaged has used the trial data to determine the potential benefits of switching to a reuse model. The scheme is now part of Ocado Retail’s standard range.
Amcor says it designed and manufactured the project’s 2kg vessel featuring a large opening ideal for filling with dry foods, and the 3kg container with a narrower opening designed for liquid filling. It is hoped that the container will become the standard, allowing other businesses to deliver efficiencies and scale.
The company worked closely with Ocado Retail and the Refill Coalition on the final container design, aiming to meet life cycle requirements such as compatibility with filling systems, delivery and at home storage. It also needed to be free from trap points to enable efficient washing when returned.
Seeking to maximize space in the delivery case, Amcor adds that a square base with rounded shoulders has been incorporated to enable correct rinsing and emptying. The company developed a thicker wall to meet safety and hygiene requirements for food contact and withstand a hot wash.
GoUnpackaged’s report titled ‘A 30%+ reuse future for the UK’ states that moving to 30% reuse in the UK retail sector will see a 95% reduction in CO2e emissions and £136 million saving a year, due to reduced extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) costs. The continuation of the trial aims to reveal further insights including the container’s true lifecycle.
“We estimate each container can be refilled between 50 and 100 times before being taken out of circulation, so the ongoing data from Ocado Retail is critical to establish definitively the recommended usage,” said Catherine Conway, reuse lead at GoUnpackaged.
In related news, Smartfill and DY|DX have open-sourced the core design and technical architecture of their dispensing systems for liquid FMCG products in a bid to upscale reuse in the Global South, first developed alongside Unilever and Bopinc. The companies also aim to tackle the global challenge of high hardware costs by allowing users to adopt the system for less than US$50 per dispenser.
Last month cleaning brand Homethings revealed it is utilizing Kelpi’s seaweed-based coatings for the next generation of its refill sachets. Kelpi states that its bioplastic packaging is biodegradable and marine-safe, decomposing in less than a year after use without leaving toxins behind.
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