Photos : GoUnpackaged
Berry ’ s reusable container offers the ideal refill solution
A bespoke 14 litre HDPE reusable container designed and manufactured by Berry Global is playing a central role as the vessel for a new refill packaging solution from the Refill Coalition . The pilot for the solution was initiated at Aldi UK in its Solihull branch on October 23rd .
The Refill Coalition is Aldi UK , Ocado Retail and the supply chain solutions company CHEP and was convened in 2020 by GoUnpackaged , the UK ’ s leading refill experts . The refill project has created a standardised full supply chain solution to deliver refills at scale for key food staples , such as cereals and pasta , with a view to including household products such as cleaning and personal care in the near future .
The in-store retail refill system sees product filled into the Berry vessel and delivered to the store , where it is fitted into the specially designed
32 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk
According to the Refill Coalition , if every household in the UK refilled just one item per week , this would eliminate over 1.4 billion single-use packs in a year *.
refill station . When empty the container is returned for washing and refill . This solution offers efficiencies of scale and takes away the refill operation from individual stores , which frees up space in each retail outlet .
For the in-store system , Berry created a solution to a very specific brief . The vessel ’ s angled shoulder design ensures that all product is evacuated during refilling by consumers . A divorced carry handle prevents product from entering and becoming trapped inside the handle and facilitates easy cleaning while providing ease of use throughout the distribution chain . The design also allows the incorporation of an RFID chip , QR Code or similar device for tracking and product management .
HDPE was selected as the most appropriate material , with its robustness and durability suitable to withstand the repeated washing and distribution process to deliver the multiple uses required for the refill operation . While the mono layer construction - which facilitates recycling at the container ’ s eventual end of life - is currently in virgin HDPE , the Refill Coalition plans to introduce postconsumer recycled ( PCR ) into the container in the future , which will support supply chain compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility requirements .