Returnable deli containers on trial in two NZ supermarkets

New World, which is owned by grocery company Foodstuffs, will be trialling a new returnable container system called RePlay at two of its supermarkets in New Zealand — New World Birkenhead in Auckland and New World Metro Willis Street in Wellington.

Developed in partnership with Bonson Packaging and co-funded by the Ministry for the Environment, RePlay is designed to allow customers to buy deli goods in reusable containers.

The two-year trial, which begins in September, works using a simple card or phone tap which results in a temporary $3 hold to ‘borrow’ the RePlay container; the money is released when the empty rinsed container is returned to a smart bin in store within four weeks. If the customer is late returning the container, Bonson will charge them $3 to replenish their fleet of containers but they can get a partial refund of $1 if the container is returned within six months.

Foodstuffs’ Sustainable Packaging Manager, Debra Goulding, said, “The trial is about seeing how returnable packaging works in supermarkets at scale. We’ve already learned a lot from getting rid of single-use plastic bags and know that even small changes can take time to be more widely adopted. This trial is about finding simple, practical ways to help customers make a difference.”

Rodney Bennett, General Manager of Bonson Packaging, said, “After two years of R&D, we’re very excited to trial the RePlay returnable system in New World supermarkets. By working alongside local partners Circularity, Again Again, Anew and New World, we have co-designed a world-leading circular system right here in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

“While other brands and retailers have trialled reuse initiatives, none have yet cracked the challenge of making it work at scale. We believe RePlay has real potential because it’s built on a circular business model — packaging-as-a-service using food-grade, durable polypropylene.”

Instead of supermarkets purchasing and restocking single-use containers, Bonson supplies the containers, supported by the ‘Tap to RePlay’ and smart bin technology. This system is designed to keep packaging in circulation at high value rather than being downcycled.

If successful, the trial could be scaled across more New World stores in future.

For more information, visit www.replayreturn.com.