Marks and Spencer is set to make a huge change to its Aintree store with the launch of M&S Refilled products.
M&S Aintree is one of the first stores in the country taking part in the trial, which aims to offer shoppers more sustainable options when stocking up on several household essentials. The famed British retailer is known and loved for its extensive line-up of fashion, homeware, food and more, and regularly launches initiatives and commitments as part of ongoing efforts to improve its carbon footprint.
Now, the new M&S Refilled trial will see refillable own-brand cleaning and laundry products in a bid to reduce and remove plastic packaging. It will allow customers in Liverpool to choose from eight pre-filled, own-brand homecare products, including cleaning sprays, laundry detergents, fabric conditioners and washing up liquids.
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There’s just four stores nationwide taking part in the M&S Refilled trial, including the Aintree store. This is an expansion on the project, following the success of its initial launch earlier this year.
Melissa Marsden, store manager at M&S Aintree, said: "Having sustainable choices is hugely important to our customers, so we’re excited to announce the launch of M&S Refilled at Aintree. We know that customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive to date at the initial trial stores, and we’re sure it will be equally popular with shoppers here too."
The offering, delivered in partnership with Re, was first launched in Stevenage in June. The products have proved popular, and now outperform their pre-packaged equivalents.
Customers pay an initial £2 deposit for the reusable bottle, with a range of 500ml, 750ml and 1L sizes on offer, which can be returned to store after use. Upon return, customers will receive their £2 back as a voucher which can be redeemed against a second purchase in the M&S Refilled range, with product refills are at least 10% cheaper than their pre-packaged equivalents.
All returned bottles, made with durable materials to reduce damage and waste, will be cleaned and refilled before returning to store to be sold again. Cleaning spray and washing up liquid bottles will also include a fully recyclable spray trigger or pump that can be recycled at home or returned to store.
M&S has committed to remove 1bn units of plastic food packaging by 2027 and has already removed 75m units from across its food business in the past year. The retailer recently reset its Plan A sustainability roadmap, with a singular focus on becoming a fully net zero business across its products and supply chain by 2040.
Lucinda Langton, head of Sustainability at M&S Food, said: "At M&S, we want to help our customers live more sustainably by transforming how we sell our products. We know they care deeply about reducing plastic so we’re taking a test and learn approach to find innovative solutions. Our homecare trial builds on our refillable and packaging-free Fill Your Own concept, and both are important parts of our strategy to reduce plastic and packaging."
M&S Aintree is open from 8am-9pm on Monday to Friday, 8am-8pm on Saturday, and 11am-5pm on Sunday. You can find your nearest M&S store here.
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