French supermarket Carrefour and US waste recycling company TerraCycle on Tuesday launched the test for their ‘Loop’ initiative which they hope will tackle the problems of plastic waste.
Reuters reported that the online platform will allow shoppers in the Paris area to buy products such as juice, detergent and shampoo in reusable containers. Loop delivers products in reusable glass and metal bottles and retrieves the empties for cleaning and reuse.
Brands including Nestlé, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Mondelēz, Unilever and Procter & Gamble (P&G) signed up to use the circular e-commerce platform developed by recycling company TerraCycle in January when it was unveiled during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Switzerland.
Carrefour, Europe’s largest retailer, aims to reach a 100% rate for recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging for its own brands by 2025.
It will be offering around 200 products – including around 30 of its own private label and organic products such as honey, oil or spices – during the initial trial in the Paris area.
The Loop trial launches first in Paris and then New York on May 21. A London launch via supermarket group Tesco is expected later in the year.
