Critics have spoken out against UK supermarkets’ current environmental trend towards re-using product containers and packaging, branding it “not effective enough”.

Two company directors who pride themselves on knowing what is best for the environment have declared that supermarkets and food companies hide their true intentions behind supposed eco- friendly intended actions.

Dave Dalton, Technical Director of British Glass and Richard David, Director of Aquo questions companies motives when Kenco’s refill-able pouches and Asda’s refill-able fabric conditioner machines are not any more environmentally friendly than recycling.

 Dalton said: “This move by supermarkets and companies is not really based on environmental issues, but based on commercial gain. With Kenco, there’s no reason why people can’t bring the original glass jar to be re-filled instead. The pouches are a waste of packaging. It is an unclear story all round.”

Aquo cleaning products seem to be the ideal eco product. The spray bottle is filled with water soluble tablets and water in the consumer’s home, with the bottle re-usable at least twenty times. Despite UK supermarkets’ claims that they are on the cusp of eco- products, out of all the major supermarkets, only Tesco has placed the products on its shelves for a trial basis.

 Davis said: “In this economy, no matter how much supermarkets try to be eco friendly, it is hard for eco products to get shelf space against the discount world. We thought we were onto a winner; it is the eco friendly product. Yet no one wants to stock it. ”

Dalton added: “People forget that re-filling isn’t easy for companies. The product needs to be delivered in a way that ensured that it maintained its original shape, cleaned with caustic soda, which would have to be thrown away, and then put back into the loop.”

All the major UK supermarkets refused to comment on this matter.

Perhaps the future of re-filling lies with the consumers, rather than the companies. Housewives have been re-using jam jars and margarine tubs for years.

Violet Archer, a housewife said:  “I think stores like Unpackaged is how re-filling should be done, where the consumer is responsible for re-filling. Supermarkets should stick with recycling, and we can do the re-filling.”