INTERSPAR Austria trials filling units for organic detergents

January 29, 2020 IN THE CATEGORY: Environment, Responsible retailing

INTERSPAR Austria is trialling filling stations for organic laundry and dishwashing detergents in two hypermarkets in Vienna and Salzburg. The initiative is part of SPAR Austria’s commitment to reducing unnecessary plastic packaging and supporting customers in shopping consciously.

Refill trial

INTERSPAR Austria is the first food retailer in the country to trial filling units for organic laundry and dishwashing detergents, giving customers the option to reuse detergent bottles instead of disposing of them.

The filling units currently offer three organic laundry detergents – aloe vera, lavender, and sensitive – as well as a lime-scented organic dishwashing detergent, all supplied by an Austrian company Planet Pure. Customers can purchase an empty bottle with a capacity of 1 litre for dishwashing detergents and 1.5 litres for laundry detergents and fill with the product of choice at the filling unit. These bottles can be reused countless times, thereby reducing plastic waste.

Due to labelling regulations, customers can only use the containers provided instore, and not other containers, to ensure that the necessary hazard warnings are printed on the packaging.

“Environmental protection and plastics reduction are extremely important to us”, says Markus Kaser, Managing Director of INTERSPAR Austria. “This new refill concept protects the environment in many ways. Planet Pure is an innovative partner who developed the world’s first eco-certified detergent in 2011. All Planet Pure products are made from plants and are 100% biodegradable.”

INTERSPAR offers a large variety of organic household products. Currently, this range includes 73 organic cleaning products and detergents, and the range is growing. To make it easier to find these products instore, most are labelled as natural household products.

Plastics reduction

The filling units are part of SPAR Austria’s ongoing plastics reduction campaign, Save on plastics with SPAR, drawing customers’ attention to plastic-free or reduced-plastic options at SPAR and INTERSPAR stores. About 40% of the fruit and vegetables instore already come without packaging, with SPAR and INTERSPAR stores in Austria offering reusable nets, paper, and compostable bags instead of plastic options.

Biodegradable packaging for organic fruit and vegetables is common practice in many SPAR Austria stores, and customers can use their own containers when purchasing products such as meat, cold cuts, and cheese at deli counters. This significantly reduces the need for packaging compared to self-service.

SPAR stores across Austria also offer an extensive range of soft drinks in reusable bottles, as well as mineral water, beer, fruit juices, and dairy products in reusable packaging.

To read more about SPAR Austria’s sustainability initiatives published in our quarterly magazine Contact International, click here.

Source: SPAR Austria