Woolworths’ customers in Tasmania can now bring their own reusable containers from home to fill up at the deli, meat and seafood counters.
The BYO container program – aiming to reduce the use of disposable plastic containers and wrapping – has also launched at the retailer’s West End store in Queensland. This follows a successful trial at Woolworth’s Crows Nest store in NSW.
Customers can let Woolworths’ team members behind the counter know that they’ve brought their own container. The team members will adjust the tare weight to the container, fill it, and provide a printed barcode sticker to scan at the checkout.
Woolworths Group Chief Sustainability Officer Alex Holt says the retailer is always looking for new ways to grow greener and the option to bring your own containers to the deli is something its customers have been asking for.
“Across the community, we’re increasingly adding reusable packaging to our regular routines – whether it be reusable cups for our morning coffee or bringing our own bags to the supermarket,” she says.
“We hope our new BYO container program will be no different, and that together with our customers we can help reduce the amount of single use plastic in their grocery shop.
“The potential impact of a small change like this is huge. If every customer brought their own deli container, an average store could save up to 10,000 plastic containers a year.”
For food and operational safety, containers brought by customers to be filled in store must have a sealable lid, be clean and in good condition, and not be glass or single use. The option is available on all products sold by weight at the deli, meat and seafood counters. It is not currently available for salads sold by volume.
The trial will roll out across further stores in NSW and Victoria early next year.