Asda Trials First Sustainable Store IN Leeds

2020 has been the year of sustainability, with Leeds leading the way with all sorts of projects in the works to become a greener city. And now, Asda has chosen one of the city’s stores to become its first “sustainability” store. Kicking off yesterday, Asda’s Middleton superstore becomes the first in the country of its kind. It has partnered with a range of big brands such as PG Tips, Vimto, Kellogg’s, Radox, and Persil to give access to the products that customers love- without the packaging. The store has replaced plastic with a number of refill stations, where customers will be able to stock up on dried goods such as pasta, cereals, tea, and coffee and then weigh it and price it up. Customers will be able to bring their own reusable containers to the store and fill up to their heart’s content. Fruit and veg will also be sold “naked”, with plastic being eradicated from the packaging. When explaining why they backed the move, ASDA representatives stated "We’re on an ongoing quest to remove and reduce the amount of plastic in our business – and to find new ways to help our customers to reuse and refill our products, It’s a journey we can’t go on alone, which is why we invited our suppliers to innovate with us and I’m delighted that household names like Kellogg’s and Unilever have joined us in testing new ideas and approaches to sustainability at our Middleton store."

“Over the coming weeks and months we will be testing and learning from the customers in Middleton to understand how we can reduce our environmental impacts whilst still maintaining the great service and quality our customers demand. Our first priority will be to look at how we can reduce and remove plastic and I am excited to learn from our customers and see where this journey will take us.”

The concept aims to reduce plastic waste and help customers become more environmentally friendly – with a company aim to reduce plastic use by 15% this year. The store will also feature ‘reverse’ vending machines where customers can bring plastic bottles and cans for recycling. Asda believes their green initiative on trial in Middleton will save an estimated one million pieces of plastic a year. Asda’s commitment is to generate zero carbon emissions by 2040. They aim to reduce their waste by 50% and have a net regenerative impact on the environment by 2050.