The trial, which has been funded by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), begins today (January 25) at Asda’s Barnsley store.

WRAP says the trial will be the first use of self-dispensing technology, developed by the firm eziserv, which pipes fabric conditioner from a 1000 litre reusable container at the back of a store to a point in the aisle.

Similar projects have been run by Asda in the past, but only using vending machines, this is the first time the chain has used the piped dispensing system.

This system allows customers to buy concentrated fabric conditioner in reusable pouches that can be refilled up to 10 times, saving 40p each time compared to the same volume of product in traditional plastic bottle.

Director of retail at WRAP, Dr Richard Swannell, said: “Reusable packaging offers us an opportunity to fundamentally rethink the retail experience.

“We have already seen positive responses from consumers in relation to carrier bag reuse and if this trial enjoys similar success, it could mark the start of a reusable revolution.”

Asda’s head of corporate policy for sustainability and ethics, Julian Walker-Palin, added: “This project directly engages our customers on this by offering them a great product which not only has a lower packaging footprint, but also has a lower price tag due to its reduced environmental footprint.”

Luke Walsh

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