Finish, the brand name of dishwasher detergent products sold by the manufacturer Reckitt, has partnered with Tesco to reduce plastic packaging.
To begin with, Finish has reduced the amount of plastic it uses per package by 15%, without reducing the number of soap tabs it contains. In addition, the eco-friendlier packs have special labeling to highlight the push to use less plastic.
Then to close the loop, the partnership with Tesco involves giving consumers the opportunity to bring back used packs for recycling. There will be plastic carrier bag recycling points in the larger Tesco stores. So environmentally conscious consumers can drop off their used packs and be part of a circular economy.
Stephanie Lilley, Reckitt Benckiser sales director for hygiene, said:
At Finish, we are constantly exploring how to minimize our environmental impact, and our reduced plastic packs are an example of this commitment in action. It is important that consumers have more environmentally conscious options available to them without detracting from quality.
The effort comes as part of a more comprehensive initiative by Reckitt Benckiser to make 100% of the plastic used across its products reusable or recyclable by 2025 and use 50% less virgin plastic by 2030.
Lauren Tredgett, Tesco’s household category buying manager, said retailers needed to continue to work with branded suppliers to create a closed-loop for packaging materials.
Tesco has many other environmental initiatives underway and partnerships with companies striving to do better – be greener.
Last year, it teamed up with Loop to provide a unique service that allows customers to order products in refillable containers, which can be returned when empty for a new one or cashback. It’s a flashback to “the milkman” from before the 1950s before single-use plastic existed.
Tesco also partnered with renewable energy organization Green Generation to convert unsold food into gas to power six of its British stores. Before this, the supermarket sent surplus food to Northern Ireland to be converted into energy or donated it to the charity FoodCloud. Now it’s donating leftover meat to FoodCloud and giving the rest to Green Generation. This initiative cuts the chain’s carbon emissions by 1,200 tons annually and diverts 6,400 tons of food from going to waste per year.
Yet another partnership for the greater good involves Volkswagen and Pod Point. The three companies teamed up to provide free charging points for UK electric vehicle owners while they shop. At least 100 Tesco stores across the nation are now equipped with charging points. Overall, there will be 2,400 across all Tesco parking lots so customers can top up their batteries while they’re shopping.
