Leading supermarket chain Tesco has started a trial to remove un-needed toothpaste packaging in the UK, dropping the cardboard box they're usually found in on the shelves. Tesco are looking to drop this unnecessary packaging for good as part of Tesco's 4Rs packaging strategy to tackle the impact of packaging waste.
Tesco actually launched the initiative back in November last year when they removed these boxes from own brand toothpaste tubes and then stepped up their efforts in late September, testing how customers feel when branded toothpaste is no longer sold in this way. The new trial will take place in nearly 30 Tesco stores across the UK and will include all the major toothpaste brands such as Colgate, Oral B, Sensodyne, Aquafresh and Corsadyl.
The move to drop own brand packaging led to the saving of more than 55 tonnes of cardboard per year. If the new trial is successful, box-less toothpaste will then be rolled out across other Tesco stores, with a potential saving of 680 tonnes of cardboard a year.
Tesco Oral Care Buyer Felicity Bexton said of the move: “We made a bold move to remove un-needed toothpaste boxes last November on our own brand and have had positive feedback from customers. Now we are working with the major toothpaste brands to join us on this journey.
“Not only is there an opportunity to remove this needless packaging, but it also means being able to transport more tubes in the same amount of space, helping us take delivery lorries off the road too. We think that for customers the move makes sense, because the first thing they do when they buy toothpaste is throw the packaging box away!"
This move comes as part of the retailer's 4Rs strategy which launched back in August 2019, already seeing a reduction in packaging by more than 3,000 tonnes from its annual footprint.
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