Lidl has commenced a trial of what it claims is the UK’s first ‘smart’ laundry detergent refill station.
Working in partnership with Chilean sustainability start-up Algramo, the discounter said the six month pilot in just one store in Kingswinford, West Midlands, could save 2,970 single-use plastic containers.
Shoppers at the store are able to purchase a dedicated, recyclable refill bottle filled with a choice of four Lidl own brand laundry detergents for the same price as a standard single-use bottle. After the refill bottle is purchased, any refills then come with a 20p saving – reducing customer spend as well as plastic.
The refill bottles have been designed with a “UK-first” smart chip, which allows the machine to register and recognise the bottle. Once the refill process is complete, shoppers can collect the ticket printed with the chosen product’s barcode and pay at the till as normal.
The refill machines are fully automated and offer laundry detergents from Lidl’s Formil range.
The trial is part of Lidl’s drive to combat plastic waste, which has already seen the removal of 1 billion pieces of plastic from stores, as well as the commitment to reduce its use of plastic packaging by 40% by 2025.
Mark Newbold, CSR Manager at Lidl GB said: “At Lidl, we believe you shouldn’t have to pay more for doing the right thing. It’s why we’re especially proud to be trialling this pioneering refill technology that not only helps customers reduce their plastic usage, but also their weekly shopping bill.”
Lidl is the first retailer to pilot Algramo’s circular platform in Europe, with plans later in the year to trial alternative designs.
Chris Baker, Country Manager at Algramo UK said: “We are very happy to help Lidl customers make simple everyday actions more sustainable. During 2021, just in Chile, we managed to reuse more than 250,000 plastic bottles, that are still being used by consumers, keeping more than 30 tons of plastic in the economy and out of the environment.”
