A trial to remove unneeded toothpaste packaging in the UK has been launched by Tesco.
For many years, tubes of toothpaste have been packed in a cardboard box, but now Tesco is hoping to banish this piece of unnecessary packaging for good.
According to the retailer, it will test how customers feel when branded toothpaste is no longer sold in this way.
Last November, the supermarket noted that it got the ball rolling by scrapping these boxes for its own-brand toothpaste – a move that will lead to the saving of more than 55 tonnes of cardboard each year.
New Trial
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 Corsodyl.
If successful, box-less toothpaste will then be rolled out across other Tesco stores, with a potential saving of 680 tonnes of cardboard a year.
Felicity Bexton, Tesco oral-care buyer, said, “We made a bold move to remove unneeded 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.”
Loose Tubes
Tesco will sell loose tubes, free from the outer cardboard box.
A spokesperson for Colgate said, “We’ve watched Tesco’s groundbreaking move to scrap its own-brand toothpaste boxes with interest, and are delighted to support this upcoming trial.
“Should it be popular with shoppers, we’ll be happy to roll it out to all Tesco stores and beyond.”
© 2022 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. For more packaging stories, click here. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
