Fred Meyer Stores Introduce Loop Reusable Packaging

In a first-of-its-kind partnership in the United States, 25 stores operated by Kroger’s Fred Meyer banner in the Portland, Ore., metro area and Loop, the circular reuse platform developed by TerraCycle, have launched a selection of 20-plus products in reusable packaging rather than in single-use plastic.

“Kroger is committed to achieving lasting positive change for billions of people and for our planet,” said Keith Dailey, group VP of corporate affairs and chief impact officer at the company, which first revealed a Loop pilot at Fred Meyer late last year. “To do this, we’ve developed a shared-value ESG framework that unlocks greater business value as we work collectively to create more resilient, equitable and sustainable systems. Our pioneering and exclusive partnership with Loop is an illustration of this commitment, and we are honored to be the first grocery retail partner for Loop in the U.S. and work with Our Brands and consumer packaged goods partners to advance our mission.” 

“Loop’s goal has always been to grow, scale and be accessible to consumers around the world,” noted Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of Trenton, N.J.-based TerraCycle and Loop. “With the world’s largest retailers bringing Loop to physical brick-and-mortar locations, we are giving consumers what they’ve been asking for since Loop was introduced in 2019 – the ability to purchase the products they use every day in durable, reusable containers, with the convenience of shopping at their local market.” 

The Loop assortment at Fred Meyer includes a combination of well-known food and household products from various brands, among them Arbor Teas, Cascade, Clorox, Gerber, Nature’s Heart, Nature’s Path, Pantene, Seventh Generation and Stubb’s, in addition to Kroger’s Simple Truth brand. More brands will be added to the Loop product portfolio in the next few months.

“Our focus on innovative solutions as we continue on our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste journey aligns with Loop’s mission to create a convenient circular packaging platform,” explained Lisa Zwack, Kroger’s head of sustainability. “Customers are increasingly seeking out sustainable products and services that fit their lifestyle, and this collection makes it convenient. As the first grocer in America to offer these products, Kroger is pleased to take another meaningful step toward a world with zero waste.”

Customers can find the Loop products in their refillable, reusable containers in branded displays at participating Fred Meyer stores. After the products are used, customers can return the empty packaging to the Loop collection bin at each participating store. Loop will then pick up the empty containers to be cleaned, refilled and made available for purchase by a new customer. Customers will be charged a small packaging deposit when they buy the item, with a full refund given when the package is returned.

Loop’s shift to an in-store retail model debuted in Paris with French grocer Carrefour in December 2020. In 2021, Loop launched in-store at Aeon in Japan and Tesco in the United Kingdom. Loop also formed a reusable-packaging partnership with McDonald’s in the United Kingdom, and recently with Burger King and Tim Hortons in select restaurants in the United States and Canada, respectively.

Cincinnati-based Kroger employs nearly half a million associates who serve more than 11 million-plus customers daily through a digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The company is No. 3 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.