Several supermarkets, such as Waitrose, are trialling the use of refillable food containers in an attempt to combat the amount of plastic used. Many consumers are now looking at the amount of single-use plastic packaging when buying their weekly shop. It is becoming more and more apparent we will need to shop in a different way in the future.

According to Greenpeace UK the top 10 UK supermarkets produce over 810,000 tonnes of single-use plastic packaging annually. Waitrose are the first national supermarket chain to run a test with refillable containers. It seems likely the rest will soon follow. They are currently offering everything from wine to beer, coffee to cereals and a range of cleaning products.

As well as the major supermarkets, there are lots of small independent shops opening to offer refillable containers and other non-plastic alternatives. There are lots of easy household swaps that avoid plastic including reusable coffee cups, steel straws, beeswax wraps and water bottles.

Refillable Containers

Refillable containers work well for dry goods such as flour, rice, pasta, lentils etc and the range of products is increasing all the time. Some supermarkets now allow you to take your own containers for meat and fish from the fresh counter. You might be surprised at the changes taking place right now.

We all need to change the way we shop, and the items we buy, in order to make a difference. As with the change to taking your own bags when shopping, it will take a bit of getting used to.

If you are considering a new kitchen, but don’t want to send your old one to landfill, then give us a call on ☎ 0203 002 0005. We can help you recycle your old kitchen and make you some cash at the same time.