A SECOND Waitrose store in Oxfordshire has ripped plastic packaging off a host of products as part of the supermarket's ongoing 'Unpacked' trial.

The company's Wallingford branch yesterday became the latest to take fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds out of their single-use plastic wrapping.

It follows the success of the scheme at the flagship Botley Road branch in Oxford.

Read also: Prince Harry portrait stolen from Oxford pub – Meghan kicked

Wallingford branch manager Alex Hume said: “We’re really excited that Unpacked is launching in Wallingford and we’re looking forward to showing our customers our newly-refurbished shop.

“As we’re only the third store in the UK to test the Unpacked concept, customer feedback can play a pivotal role in shaping how we may take it forward.”

Oxford Mail:

The Wallingford branch now hosts an entire refills section with 'gravity bin' dispensers full of dried goods like lentils, rice and nuts that customers can use to refill their own containers.

It also now has a frozen ‘pick and mix’ section with fruit and vegetables; coffee, wine and beer refills, and dispensers to refill containers with detergent and washing-up liquid.

Read also: Police appeal after driver of Suzuki dies on A361

There are also updated cheese, delicatessen and sushi counters, and for an introductory period customers will be able to get 10 per cent off shopping by bringing in their own containers.

Waitrose first launched its Unpacked trial as an 11-week pilot scheme at the Botley Road store in June.

Oxford Mail:

In August the company announced that it had been so popular it would continue the scheme in Oxford and also roll it out to three more stores – Cheltenham (where it launched in September), Wallingford, and Abingdon, where it is now set to 'unpack' on November 22.

Managers said 90 per cent of customers at the Botley Road branch had said they would continue to shop 'unpacked', however they did cut two elements of the scheme there – a 'veg kitchen' where customers could ask a dedicated chef to turn their unpackaged groceries into meals, and a 'borrow-a-box' option.

Read also: Empty units filled with festive pop-ups at Covered Market

The company chose Oxford for the pilot after a series of small independent businesses started selling plastic-free refills in the city, such as the SESI stall at East Oxford Farmers Market.

In July Sainsbury's announced it would be trialling a similar plastic-packaging-free scheme at its Kidlington store.