Grocery retailer Ocado has partnered with the UK Refill Coalition to reduce single-use plastics with the expansion of its Reuse range to include laundry products.  

With the latest move, the online grocer is offering environmentally friendly alternatives to its customers.  

The new additions include Reuse Clear Skies Fabric Conditioner and Reuse Non-Bio Liquid Detergent, each packaged in 2.7-litre containers, available as of yesterday (28 October).

This move comes following the success of reusable pasta and rice packaging launched by the company in August this year. 

Ocado’s reusable pasta packaging received a 4.9 rating out of 5 from consumers, and 4.8 for the rice packaging. 

The Refill Coalition said: “As a coalition we share the mutual objective of reducing single-use plastic packaging and believe that the solutions we have developed present a landmark opportunity for us to make a step change in the commercialisation of reusable packaging which we know can play a significant role in the reduction of single-use plastic packaging.” 

Sales data also showed that approximately 30% of customers who bought single-use items previously transitioned to the Reuse products from Ocado. 

This trend aligns with the broader sentiment of the public, as a study by Ocado Retail and Savanta involving more than 2,000 customers showed that 72% are concerned about the single-use packaging waste amount in their grocery shopping.  

Additionally, one in three consumers reportedly seek retailers that offer refillable options for pantry items. 

The study also revealed that liquid laundry detergent and fabric conditioner are among the top products consumers want to see offered in refillable formats, with half of the respondents identifying these as priority areas.  

With 73% advocating for more supermarkets to provide refillable solutions, Ocado's alignment with consumer demands sets an example for other retailers and underscores the importance of adapting retail practices to meet sustainability expectations.