Edinburgh shoppers who want to reduce their plastic footprint can now use their own containers at the Scotmid Co-op’s first ever refill station.
The initiative is being trialed at the Scotmid store at Raeburn Place in Stockbridge, Edinburgh, where customers can fill up on different dry products such as pasta, couscous and dried fruit provided by Glasgow-based co-operative, Greencity Wholefoods.
The retailer is the first with a sizeable presence in Scotland to introduce the self-service dispensers. The co-op is also encouraging customers to bring their own containers or jars to transport the products purchased.
Scotmid local sourcing manager Kirsty George said: “We’re incredibly excited about the launch of the refill station at our Stockbridge store and the initial response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“It has been excellent to work alongside another Scottish co-operative, Greencity Wholefoods and together we’ve managed to make this become a reality.
“We’re all really passionate about helping our customers to reduce their plastic consumption where possible and the introduction of the refill station fits our values and principles as an ethical retailer.
“We’re proud of the buzz that the refill station has already generated via social media – we knew that it would be well received by members and customers in the local area and that has so far proven to be the case.
“This is still a trial, so, as part of our continuous improvement philosophy, we will take on board everything we learn and then we can implement any changes before considering which stores we can roll it out to next.”
Related: Channel Islands Co-op brings in milk vending machine for bottle refills
Scottish households generate around 224,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year.
Greencity Wholefoods’ worker-owner Craig McCormack said: “We’re really excited to be co-operating alongside Scotmid on bringing this project to life in Stockbridge; it’s fantastic to be able to tackle both plastic pollution and food culture.
“It’s incredibly important to reduce the use of plastic where possible. It is also a great opportunity to reduce food waste allowing people to buy what they need depending on their circumstances.”
