Communicating the benefits of refilling to shoppers who are used to conventional purchasing options presents a challenge, but it’s absolutely vital. We think there's no better place to start than in the home," Cleland added. "By keeping a bottle of Cif and refilling and reusing it over and over again, consumers can reduce their consumption of single use plastic." Different consumers have different needs and wants, which depend on a host of factors including where they live, how they shop and what they buy. Likewise, different product categories work better on the go than at home. So there is no one-size-fits-all. The appetite for refillable and reusable products has spurred Unilever to expand its refill & reuse activities through a series of trials in the UK, delivering and testing convenient and sustainable solutions to help shoppers cut plastic consumption Our most popular newsletter, formerly known as Dezeen Weekly. Sent every Thursday and featuring a selection of the best reader comments and most talked-about stories. Plus occasional updates on Dezeen’s services and breaking news. Dezeen Agenda

Daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Plus occasional news. Dezeen Jobs Weekly In the research, 40% of people thought they would be more expensive. But actually, they retail at less than the price of Cif spray bottles. The projects that we’ve seen grow the fastest have been those where we have been able to communicate a very clear value proposition to consumers.

While triggers are technically recyclable, many recycling companies aren’t geared up to deal with them. Plus, they are designed to last approximately 15 times – about five years, on average – but instead, generally get disposed of after just one use. The nascent nature of refill models means that regulatory guidelines and public policies can be vague, and we’ve come across challenges with this in several of our pilots. We expect this to change and we look forward to working with policymakers to help shape a clear way forward. Insights from this initial trial, as well as Unilever commissioned research, is informing their expanded trials this year: But solutions do exist. The same report found that this amount can be reduced by 80% if major transformational change takes place. By reusing the bottles, Cif hopes to reduce the amount of trigger sprays being disposed of, which are problematic to recycle as many companies aren't equipped to deal with them.

Yes, we're looking to have ecorefill accross all our main sprays by 2020. But we're not stopping there and want to offer other concentrated products across our entire range. Once the original bottle of cleaning product is finished, users can attach the Cif ecorefill to the bottle to release the highly concentrated product into the bottle, which they then fill with water to dilute. Gemma Cleland, Vice President, Homecare, Unilever UK & Ireland, said: “The launch of Cif ecorefills is a game-changer when it comes to reducing plastic waste in the products we use to clean our homes. Our research shows that two-thirds of us feel guilty when we throw away plastic and shoppers are looking for easy switches that can have a positive impact on the world around us. We think there’s no better place to start than in the home. By keeping a bottle of Cif and refilling and reusing it over and over again, consumers can reduce their consumption of single use plastic.” Changing how we make, distribute, use and dispose of everyday products is one of the biggest environmental challenges the world is currently facing," said the company. "It's also an issue where consumption habits are just as important as business models."The ecorefill’s space-saving design also comes with a smaller price tag, retailing less than the price of Cif spray bottles. It is currently available at Sainsbury’s across the UK.

With our broad portfolio, we’re well placed to trial a range of refill–reuse models across various product categories and formats, including personal care, beauty, laundry, home, hygiene and food. Since 2018, we have launched over 50 pilots. With a growing number of people moving to live in cities across the world, Cif has aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities & Communities, encouraging local communities to make use of their public communal areas & beautifying public spaces that have fallen into urban decay. The design also makes them easier to use than many alternatives on the market, including refill pouches that can be difficult to pour and therefore quite messy. Almost a third of people worry about spillages when refilling household products, particularly cleaning supplies.News about our Dezeen Awards China programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. Plus occasional updates. Finding the sweet spot for a refill option that is also highly efficacious is no easy task. However, we're delighted that ecorefill offers consumers both. It's easy to use, mess free and produces beautiful cleaning results. The Power & Shine in our ecorefill is the same as in our spray, just super concentrated, and once diluted will work the same too. Sharing what we’ve learnt is a start, and we hope it will be useful. But global change needs a whole system behind it. We know we can’t do this alone, it requires buy-in from retailers, manufacturers, delivery services, civil society organisations and, of course, consumers. We also see a critical role for governments, especially in helping promote innovation and encouraging investment. We’ll keep collaborating to help make this happen. Product safety is our priority. Our products are formulated to be safe to people and to the environement, and their safety is assured by a world-leading group of safety scientists at Unilever’s Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre (SEAC).