Fred Meyer x Loop

A Fred Meyer x Loop stand in-store / Source: Packaging World

BeautyFood & BeverageGlassNorth AmericaPackagingSteel

5 MINUTE READ

Sophie Benson

WHAT WE SAY:

Single-use plastic packaging is waste in waiting, so any move towards refills and reuse is a step in the right direction. Fred Meyer’s partnership with Loop gets reusable packaging on the shelves, putting it on equal footing with other supermarket products and in front of a completely new audience.

It is not perfect - although reusable, plastic is sadly still in the mix and the product range is small. But if supermarkets consider this just the start, then circular supermarket shopping could grow exponentially. In our near future we will wonder why this was not adopted much sooner.

KEY FACTS:

US grocer Fred Meyer and Loop are putting reusable products on supermarket shelves, with a deposit and return scheme for a selection of popular products.
Currently active across 25 stores in Portland, shoppers are able to buy pre-filled products in reusable packaging and return the packs to the same store. A small deposit is required per reusable container, which is refunded into a customer’s Loop account upon return. It must be noted that this refund is not monetary. It is returned as credit for reuse within the Fred Meyer x Loop system.
Products are packaged in a range of materials and Loop works with brands to determine the right packaging type, shape and material to guarantee durability. Loop is ‘material agnostic,’ meaning it prioritises resilience and cleanability, rather than material type. This means packaging ranges from plastic bottles to stainless Steel containers and Glass bottles. The latter two are more prevalent.
The partnership takes the packaging stewardship off the shoulders of consumers and places the responsibility back with the producer, in line with the legislative trend towards EPR across multiple markets.

A Fred Meyer x Loop deposit return station / Source: Packaging World

Loop reusable products in-store / Source: Loop

DIVE DEEPER:

UK supermarkets use 114 billion pieces of single-use plastic per year, and in the US packaging and containers amount to 82.2 million tons of municipal solid waste each year. In China as much as 50% of plastic packaging is added in-store.
Add to that the fact that plastic bags are used for just 12 minutes and you have got a waste crisis on your hands. But with reusable shopping bags and reusable packaging now on its shelves, Fred Meyer is tackling two of the major causes of supermarket waste.
Owned by The Kroger Co., 25 Fred Meyer stores in Portland, US, have launched reusable packaging in-store in collaboration with circular platform Loop.
Stands in the stores carry over 20 popular product lines from brands, such as Clorox, Gerber and Kroger’s Simple Truth, packaged in reusable containers, with reusable bags available to carry them in.
Shoppers pay a deposit for the containers, which they get back when they return the container to a dedicated collection box, which is managed by Loop. Used containers are sorted, cleaned, refilled and put back on the shelves, closing the loop. Loop currently has a return rate of over 80%.
In the EU, a reusable packaging target of 50% by 2030 could lead to the reduction of 3.7 million tonnes of CO2, 10 billion cubic metres of water and almost 28 million tonnes of material.
If a bottle is used 25 times it can half its Global Warming Potential, while the 'break-even' point for a reusable glass bottle is reached after just two reuse cycles.
The partnership is the first in-store partnership of its kind in the US. Previously Loop was available only online and products would be delivered to, and then collected from, consumers’ homes.
By placing Loop, which was developed by Terracycle, in stores, inherent awareness, logistics and time barriers are removed. Circular shopping becomes part of the weekly shop rather than an extra, separate task only for those with prior knowledge of the scheme.
Deposit Return Schemes are currently present in over 40 countries, including Portugal, Turkey, Australia and the United States, therefore Loop’s model builds upon an already familiar concept.
Carrefour in France, Tesco in the UK and Aeon in Japan are among other retailers and markets with existing in-store Loop schemes. In late 2022, Loop will add Duane Reade stores in the greater New York metro areas to its list. Further brands are set to be added to the Loop portfolio to expand the availability of reusable options for shoppers.

"...We’ve developed a shared-value ESG framework that unlocks greater business value, as we work collectively, to create more resilient, equitable and sustainable systems. [And] our pioneering and exclusive partnership with Loop is an illustration of this..."

Keith Dailey - Group VP of Corporate Affairs and CIO, Kroger - as quoted in Packaging World

Key Design Considerations:

What is the impact?

While Loop states that it “continuously conducts various LCAs on transportation, product use, cleaning and more,” and has them reviewed by third parties, the company does not appear to publish the results. Conducting your own LCAs, or investigating Loop’s, will be vital to ensure you are not swapping one impact for another.

Is there scope for BYO packaging?

A deposit scheme, which necessitates returns may put some shoppers off. Self-refill options (either instead of, or alongside, depending on what would connect most with your audience) may extend the appeal of refillable, reusable packaging to a wider audience.

Plastic is plastic even if it is reused

Unfortunately, some products within the Loop range are packaged in plastic. Reuse is always better than single-use but plastic-free is better. Consider how you might leverage your position to push for a completely plastic-free line-up, and if you are a brand looking to partner with Loop, strive to develop steel, aluminium and glass packaging alongside it.

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Fred Meyer x Loop

WHAT WE SAY:

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

UK supermarkets use 114 billion pieces of single-use plastic per year, and in the US packaging and containers amount to 82.2 million tons of municipal solid waste each year. In China as much as 50% of plastic packaging is added in-store.

Add to that the fact that plastic bags are used for just 12 minutes and you have got a waste crisis on your hands. But with reusable shopping bags and reusable packaging now on its shelves, Fred Meyer is tackling two of the major causes of supermarket waste.

Owned by The Kroger Co., 25 Fred Meyer stores in Portland, US, have launched reusable packaging in-store in collaboration with circular platform Loop.

Stands in the stores carry over 20 popular product lines from brands, such as Clorox, Gerber and Kroger’s Simple Truth, packaged in reusable containers, with reusable bags available to carry them in.

Shoppers pay a deposit for the containers, which they get back when they return the container to a dedicated collection box, which is managed by Loop. Used containers are sorted, cleaned, refilled and put back on the shelves, closing the loop. Loop currently has a return rate of over 80%.

In the EU, a reusable packaging target of 50% by 2030 could lead to the reduction of 3.7 million tonnes of CO2, 10 billion cubic metres of water and almost 28 million tonnes of material.

If a bottle is used 25 times it can half its Global Warming Potential, while the 'break-even' point for a reusable glass bottle is reached after just two reuse cycles.

The partnership is the first in-store partnership of its kind in the US. Previously Loop was available only online and products would be delivered to, and then collected from, consumers’ homes.

By placing Loop, which was developed by Terracycle, in stores, inherent awareness, logistics and time barriers are removed. Circular shopping becomes part of the weekly shop rather than an extra, separate task only for those with prior knowledge of the scheme.

Deposit Return Schemes are currently present in over 40 countries, including Portugal, Turkey, Australia and the United States, therefore Loop’s model builds upon an already familiar concept.

Keith Dailey - Group VP of Corporate Affairs and CIO, Kroger - as quoted in Packaging World

Key Design Considerations:

What is the impact?

Is there scope for BYO packaging?

Plastic is plastic even if it is reused

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