Morrisons brings back container refill service to cut plastic packaging

Morrisons is bringing back its refillable container service at fresh fish and meat counters at its stores in Suffolk and north Essex, to reduce single-use plastic packaging.

Butchers and fishmongers, as well as staff at deli counters, will now ask customers if they have brought their own container to be refilled.

The initiative  is available in all branches, including Morrisons stores in Ipswich, Hadleigh, Felixstowe, Harwich, Clacton and Lowestoft.

This service was  previously introduced in 2018 but put on hold during lockdown.

Customers will be able to bring their own containers to counters, with each purchase being given a sticky label that is then scanned at the tills.

The supermarket chain estimates that, if every Morrisons customer used a refillable container for their counter purchase, it would save 2,000 tonnes of plastic a year.

The retailer has also been working to remove 900 tonnes of plastic from its butchers and fishmongers counter packaging a year by introducing new lighter-weight recyclable trays.

Morrisons will be selling reusable containers in its Home aisle, and cut-price deals across selected meat and fish cuts and deli will be available to mark the return of the service..