Carrefour, which is operated in the UAE by Majid Al Futtaim, has recently launched a zero-waste “Green Home” detergent refilling station in collaboration with Planet Pure, at its hypermarket in Mall of the Emirates. This is part of the retailer’s ongoing efforts to reduce single-use plastic waste in line with Majid Al Futtaim’s overarching goal to become net positive in carbon and water by 2040.

At least 10% of the 100 million tons of plastic we use every year end up in the oceans, which is equivalent to the weight of 700 billion plastic bottles, urgent action is required to remedy this. For example, if over the course of one year, a customer was to purchase 10 1L bottles of disposable dish soap, each weighing 55 grams, they would be generating 550 grams of plastic waste. However, if the same customer were to opt for the refill station and purchase a single 1L reusable bottle weighing 154 grams, and refill it just 10 times, they’d be reducing their plastic waste by 70%. The same principle applies to the reusable laundry detergent bottles – the more customers choose to refill the bottles, the less waste they generate.

Customers will now have the option to buy reusable bottles and fill them with certified organic, cruelty free detergent instead of buying new bottles whenever they run out of washing liquid. An RFID chip embedded into the label of each reusable bottle helps the station ensure that the right product is always dispensed.

The refilling station caters to a range of preferences, and features pomegranate-scented or lime-scented dish soap gel, in addition to lavender-scented or rose-scented washing liquid. With pilot testing underway at Carrefour’s hypermarket in Mall of the Emirates, customers can expect to find the station in more stores in due course.