Lidl has announced the trial of the UK’s first supermarket ‘smart’ laundry detergent refill station, in partnership with Chilean sustainability start-up Algramo. Launching in Kingswinford, West Midlands, the six month pilot could save 2,970 single-use plastic containers from one store alone.
As of Thursday, April 28, shoppers at the Kingswinford store are able to purchase a dedicated, 100 per cent recyclable refill bottle filled with a choice of four Lidl own brand laundry detergents for the same price as a standard single-use bottle. After the refill bottle is purchased, any refills then come with a 20p saving – reducing customer spend as well as plastic, meaning customers will never pay more for a more sustainable choice.
The refill bottles have been specially designed with a UK-first smart chip, which allows the machine to register and recognise the bottle. Once the refill process is complete, shoppers can collect the ticket printed with the chosen product’s barcode and pay at the till with the weekly shop.
