Retailer Asda is pushing forward with its sustainability credentials - having added over 50 new refill lines to its flagship sustainability store in Middleton, Leeds.
This means you can now get top brands like Coca-Cola, Yorkshire Tea, Napolina, Tilda, Mars pet food and Kellogg’s on refill for the first time ever.
The move from Asda is actually huge given that this is the first time that such leading brands have engaged with such a trial.
ASDA in Middleton, Leeds is the first store of its kind to stock these key brands in its refill section / Image: groceryinsight
As well as being great for the sustainably-minded shoppers of Leeds, it will also hopefully shape the tone for how supermarkets can look to reduce plastic waste and unnecessary product packaging going forward.
Going forward, you'll be able to pick up pre-filled one-litre glass bottles of Coca-Cola Original Taste and Zero Sugar, as well as popular Mars pet food brands like Whiskas, Chappie and Pedigree.
“We have always said that working in partnership with other like-minded businesses will be vital if we are to persuade people to shop more sustainably," said Susan Thomas, Asda's commercial sustainability director.
The store's refill zone now boasts a total of 76 different products / Image: ASDA
“We are very pleased to secure the backing of some of the UK’s most recognisable consumer brands, which means we can offer customers even more of their favourite products in refillable format.”
The new store in Middleton is the first of its kind from Asda and is focused on helping to reduce waste.
The refill zone now boasts a total of 76 different products and puts a real focus on sustainability alongside waste reduction, in particular in its clothing section.
As well as a large refill and reuse section, the store also features a recycling hub, clothing section, a hot food area with option to takeaway, plus non-food, packaged foods, produce and a floral section.
To date, it's understood that since its initial launch in October the refill zone has led to larger sales - with many people option to buy more in the refillable section than they would in traditional packaging.
Given that Leeds has a large number of sustainable and zero waste stores, we hope this is just the beginning.
Feature image - PA.
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Here’s how you can get FREE Tony’s Chocolonely and Yorkshire Tea in Leeds next week
In honour of National Chocolate Week, two big brands are joining forces.
Fancy a freebie? Silly question, of course you do.
Tony’s Chocolonely and Yorkshire Tea have joined forces for National Chocolate Week to ask Brits to declare themselves a ‘Melt’...yes, really.
It comes after the brands discovering a new Gen Z dunking trend, with research finding that 80% of 18–24-year-olds say chocolate is their preferred tea-dunking treat.
To understand why the perculiar pairing has become so popular, the brands recruited Associate Professor of Psychobiology, Dr Lorenzo Stafford, to investigate what happens when tea and chocolate come together.
Associate Professor, Dr Lorenzo Stafford said: "It's fascinating to see how much thought Brits put into what makes a great dunk. Flavour, texture and temperature all shape how we experience food, and the combination of hot tea with melting chocolate creates a particularly enjoyable sensory experience.
"When it comes to dunking, tea and chocolate have great chemistry so it’s no surprise young people have embraced it."
If you want to try it out for yourself, then you can for free - but there is one catch.
From Monday 19 to Friday 23 October, anyone who walks into one of Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds and says ‘I'm a Melt’ will get a free mug of Yorkshire Tea and bar of Tony's Chocolonely.
Not only that, but the first 100 customers will also get a limited-edition ‘Melt’ cap.
Yorkshire Tea & Tony’s Chocolonely said of the partnership, “Brits love their tea and their chocolate and now the science shows why. This National Chocolate Week, we’re inviting everyone to give it a go, embrace their inner Melt and discover just how well chunky chocolate and a proper brew can work together.”
Leeds Bradford Airport strikes will NOT go ahead following ‘late offer’ over pay
Clementine Hall
This weekend's strikes at Leeds Bradford Airport have been cancelled.
Around 130 workers were set to walk out this weekend, Unite said, but this has been suspended to allow air traffic controllers to consider a new pay offer.
The Unite members planning on to go on strike were a mixture of air traffic control workers, customer experience staff, security staff and cleaners.
The workers involved in the dispute had recently come out of a four-year pay deal, with some of the departments having fallen behind other airports in equivalent roles.
Pay talks have been happening since December 2025, with the airport's formal offer not going far enough to address the lack of pay parity which led to the decision to strike.
However, as of yesterday 15 October, the workers have been given new pay offers from the airport and the strikes will not take place to allow a ballot on the offers.
Air traffic controllers and hourly paid staff are being balloted separately on their respective offers.
Unite regional officer Neil Whitaker said: "After receiving offers from Leeds Bradford Airport, we have suspended this week’s strike action in good faith to allow members to vote on pay deals.”
In a statement, Leeds Bradford Airport said: "While the ballot process continues with certain members of our frontline colleagues, we remain hopeful that a positive outcome can be achieved and that an agreement can be reached which works for everyone involved.
"Regardless of the outcome of this ballot, LBA has a robust contingency plan in place and will be operating as normal this weekend.
"Our focus remains on supporting a smooth and reliable experience for customers while maintaining safe and efficient airport operations."
Georgina Pellant -
27th July 2021 
