French retailer Carrefour plans to remove more than 5,000 tonnes (t) of plastic from product packaging and pass savings to customers through price cuts of up to nearly 10%.

The company said the move follows the removal of 25,000t of plastic since the start of its Act For Food programme.

It said the plan is also linked to a 50% increase in virgin plastic prices, which it attributed to high volatility in oil markets and rising eco-contributions related to packaging costs.

Carrefour group chairman and CEO Alexandre Bompard said: “Carrefour was an early adopter in the fight against plastic pollution. Today, we are taking this a step further with an unprecedented initiative in the retail sector: we have chosen to invest the savings generated by fighting plastic back into our customers’ purchasing power.”

Carrefour said the five measures are expected to deliver savings of more than €5m ($5.7m).

Under the plan, the retailer will remove plastic overpackaging from promotional multipacks by 2028 for private-label products and by 2030 for national brands, with a targeted reduction of 500t.

It will also reduce plastic packaging for hygiene and household cleaning products by 30% through recycled plastic refill formats, solid-product ranges, and large containers.

Carrefour said this could save 2,000t of plastic and lead to price reductions of 10% to 20%.

The retailer also plans to replace plastic blister packs across its entire toilet paper range with 100% paper packaging by 2030, cutting plastic use by 1,500t.

The business said it will expand deposit-return product sales, which are priced on average 5% cheaper per litre than non-reusable alternatives.

The target is to offer more than 1,000 products by 2030 and reach sales of 50 million reusable bottles, reducing plastic by a further 500t.

A further measure will introduce packaging consisting of cardboard boxes and plastic windows for pastries and baked goods in the traditional bakery aisle, with an expected reduction of 500t.