Asda starts trial of new sustainability store

Asda has opened a sustainability trial store which helps shoppers “reduce, reuse and recycle with ease”, as it unveiled a new plastic reduction strategy.

The supermarket has also launched the ‘Greener at Asda Price’ offer, a national price promise that loose and unwrapped products will not cost more than wrapped equivalents.

The sustainability trial at the store located in Middleton, Leeds will see Asda partnering with popular household brands like PG Tips, Vimto, Kellogg’s, Radox and Persil.

“We have always known that we couldn’t go on this journey alone, so it is fantastic to work in tandem with more than twenty of our partners and suppliers, who have answered the call to test innovative sustainable solutions with us,” commented Roger Burnley, Asda chief executive.

The store features 15 refill stations offering customers a selection of more than 30 household staples sold in refillable format.

Products include a selection of different Kellogg’s cereals, PG Tips tea bags, Quaker Oats, Lavazza and Taylors of Harrogate coffee beans, Vimto cordial and Asda’s own brand rice and pasta.

The refill zone also includes popular brands of shampoo, conditioner, Persil laundry detergent, hand wash and shower gel from Unilever brands such as Simple and Radox sold in refillable format.

A total of 53 fresh produce lines will be sold in loose and unwrapped format including 29 new lines such as cauliflowers, mushrooms, apples, cabbages and baby plum tomatoes. In addition, all Asda plants and flowers will be sold either unwrapped or with a paper wrapping.

The store will sell several Heinz and Asda brand canned multipacks including beans and soups after removing the outer plastic wrapping.

The store also features recycling facilities for items such as crisp and biscuit packets, plastic toys, cosmetic containers and toothpaste tubes, Asda’s first reverse vending machine for cans, plastic and glass drinks bottles and a hanger recycling facility that will be rolled out across all stores.

In addition, sustainable fashion lines including clothing made from recycled polyester and coat hanger-less denim will be showcased through George and a partnership with Pre-Loved, a vintage wholesaler, will offer bespoke vintage clothing from well-known brands at the store.

The store will also has community zone for pop ups and partnerships with charities.

Asda estimates the initiatives being trialled at the store will save one million pieces of plastic per year. The supermarket hopes to roll out the concept to more locations in 2021.

“During the next few months we will listen to customers and colleagues’ feedback on Middleton so we can understand how we can continue to reduce our environmental impacts, whilst continuing to deliver quality service at a great price,” Burnley said.

As part of its new strategy for plastics and sustainability, Asda has committed to generating zero carbon emissions by 2040, reducing waste by 50% and having a net regenerative impact on nature no later than 2050.

Continuing on its 2018 pledge to reduce plastic packaging by 15 per cent in 2021, the retailer has introduced an additional commitment to remove 3 billion pieces of plastic from own-brand products by 2025.

It has also committed to introduce over 40 refillable products by 2023 and invest in 50 closed loop and circular projects by 2030, working closely with waste management companies, recyclers and product developers.