Giant Food, Loop Offer Reusable Packaging in D.C. Stores

Giant Food shoppers can purchase a selection of products in reusable packaging, thanks to a new partnership between the leading Washington, D.C., grocer and Loop, the circular reuse platform developed by TerraCycle. Customers can walk into any of the 10 participating Giant supermarkets and purchase more than 20 products from leading consumer brands, all packaged in reusable containers instead of single-use packaging.

“Giant is proud to be the first grocery retailer on the East Coast to launch a partnership with Loop, a global leader in eliminating waste, and offer our customers a program that allows them to shop for products while helping our environment,” said Diane Couchman, vice president category management, non-perishables at Giant Food. “We look forward to expanding our Loop item offerings and launching in more Giant locations in the near future.”

An assortment of products in reusable Loop containers from well-known brands including Kraft-Heinz, Nature’s Path and Stubb’s BBQ Sauce will be found in branded displays at participating Giant stores. When finished with a product, the empty packaging is returned to a Loop Return Point at any of the participating stores. From there, the containers are sent to Loop to be sanitized, then returned to the CPG suppliers to be refilled and returned to the store for future purchase. Customers are charged a small packaging deposit at checkout, and a full refund is given once the container is returned.

“Loop’s goal has always been to make reusable packaging as convenient for consumers as disposable packaging,” says Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle and Loop. “With Giant as the newest retailer bringing Loop to consumers, we are giving them what they’ve been asking for since Loop was introduced in 2019 – the ability to forgo single-use packaging and purchase the products they use every day in durable, reusable containers.”

To maintain advanced sanitization standards for all reusable containers, Loop consults with Ecolab Inc. — a global leader in cleaning and hygiene solutions — to identify proper equipment and design on-site cleaning procedures.

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