Spar Austria has announced that customers can now bring their own boxes for purchasing cold cuts, cheese, and meat, in order to avoid plastic packaging.
The service, which is currently in a trial phase, is presently limited to three Spar outlets in Styria.
The retailer has also installed self-service milk vending machines in two Interspar outlets in Wels and Linz, to also cut down the use of packaging in the dairy sector.
Hygiene Regulations
The retailer will introduce trays, that comply with strict hygiene regulations for delicatessen, for transferring products.
In order to prevent bacterial contamination, it will ensure that the boxes that customers bring do not come in contact with the store’s counter, scales, or cutlery.
Pilot Project
The trial run will be carried out till February of next year, after which the retailer will reflect upon the practicality of implementing the concept, and the level of acceptance among consumers.
If the trial proves to be successful, the new concepts will be introduced in other Spar stores in Austria.
The initiative is a part of Spar’s packaging reduction programme that aims to cut down plastic in packaging by replacing it with alternative materials, or easier to recycle options.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
