Fitzroy is one of Melbourne’s trendiest suburbs and now boasts a sustainable-focused Coles Local supermarket aimed at reducing plastic waste and costs.
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Customers will be able to reduce plastic waste with these exciting features:
- an olive oil refill station from Squeaky Gate Growers Co
- a range of refillable shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and laundry liquids from ecostore
- bring your own container and fill it with select dry Scoop & Weigh products
- make your own freshly-ground coffee from DC specialty coffee roasters
- buy cereals and granola, lollies, bulk smoothie supplements, and frozen fruit sourced from Australian farms
Coles Chief Sustainability Property and Export officer Thinus Keevé said that like all Coles Local stores, the new Fitzroy supermarket featured a product range that had been custom-made to meet the needs of local shoppers.
“We’ve partnered with local butchers, bakers and producers to offer our Fitzroy customers an in-store experience that is uniquely tailored to local tastes and preferences,” he said.
“At Coles Local, we test and trial innovative new features to see how our customers respond. In this store we’re launching a new frozen fruit Scoop & Weigh station for the first time, and an offer where customers can grind their own coffee and take it away in a container of their choice.
“As part of our Together to Zero strategy to reduce waste and transition to a circular plastic economy, we’re working with our suppliers to find innovative packaging solutions and trial them with our customers. We know that customers want us make it easier for them to recycle, and it doesn’t get much easier than simply using the container again.”
Kristen Moxey, Marketing Manager with Australian olive oil producer Squeaky Gate, said: “Squeaky Gate is delighted to partner with Coles Local on the new Fitzroy store refill station. We are constantly looking for new ways to bring our locally sourced extra virgin olive oil to consumers in a way that minimises our impact on the planet. Giving people the option to reuse and refill their bottle is an innovative way for us all to be more environmentally friendly.”
Coles Local Fitzroy features a large vegetarian section with nearly 300 vegetarian and many vegan lines. Think dahls, curries and stews from Shilu’s and Delicious Foods, dairy alternatives including a vegan ‘parmesan’ from Dairy Free Down Under, and hummus and dips from Arlington’s.
The Fitzroy store is a first for Coles. The green initiatives are part of several in-store trials around Australia that Coles is conducting on reusable packaging. These include:
- partnering with Unilever on a refill station for laundry liquids at Coles Moonee Ponds
- launching Coles’ first refillable station with sustainable body and home care brand ecostore at Chatswood
Customers can pack their groceries in free cardboard carry boxes available at the checkouts. Customers can drop off their soft plastic for recycling via REDcycle. Staff members are wearing polo shirts made from part recycled materials.
In addition, the store will also reduce food waste by working with food rescue organisation SecondBite and its community partner St Mary’s House of Welcome – a local open access centre that provides essential services to people who are homeless and experiencing poverty.
The Coles Local Fitzroy is located at 95-103 Johnston St, Fitzroy and will be open daily from 7 am – 10 pm. Read more about Coles Sustainable environment practices.
