Hi folks, Alex here. Circular economy is about recycling everything really well, right?!
Well, no. You have certainly heard about reduce-reuse-recycle. Today we are talking about reusing things
and avoiding single use packaging. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation put together a great
book with 69 examples of reuse solutions. I won’t cover them all here but I will walk
you through my 10 favourites! Ok, let’s get drawing!
On this channel, we share tools to help YOU change the world so subscribe if you are
into that kind of stuff. This book starts with a nice framework to look at how we can
reuse packaging and breaks it down into 4 categories: packaging we can refill at home,
refill on the go, packaging we can return from home and return on the go.
Return on the go works like this: you purchase a product in a returnable packaging, you use
it, you return the packaging and the business cleans and refills it for the next user.
What is the best example of packaging on the go? Right! Coffee. First, let me say this:
anybody who likes hot beverages on the go should have a travel mug with them. With that
out of the way, for those who really need a coffee and forgot their cup at home, RECUP
is a program in Germany that offers cups that can be returned to any RECUP partner in exchange
for your original 1€ deposit. Universal and no-branded design enables a large pool
of cafés and restaurants participating in the program.
Another solution for “refill on the go” is CoZie: this French company has developed
a machine for bulk dispensing of cosmetic products such as face cream, moisturizer,
deodorant, etc. The machine stocks the product into airless bags to preserve its shelf life
and meet strict specifications for hygiene and traceability. All products come into durable
glass containers that can be returned to CoZie against discounts on next refills.
Repack is another return on the go system: when customers from a online store choose
the RePack option for their purchase, the order is delivered in a RePack reusable shipper
with a prepared return label. A barcode on the shipper ensures that they are tracked
and that customers are rewarded when they send them back.
Now, let’s look at the "return from home” category: you subscribe to a service, the
business delivers the product to your door, you use it, the business picks it up, cleans
and refills it for the next user.
Loop is an online store that delivers your favourite products in durable packaging. When
you are finished with the product, they pick it up, clean it up and fill it up again. The
Loop store features products from well-known brand-owners such as Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo,
Unilever, Haagen Dazs, etc. but they take care of all the logistics for them.
Liviri also offers “return from home” packaging with these reusable shipping boxes
to keep meals and perishable items in optimal conditions. The box has built-in insulation,
movable partitions inside and reusable ice packs. Either the delivery company owns the
boxes or the customers send them back to Liviri via a return shipping label.
Every day in Mumbai, 200,000 meals are delivered and returned in tiffin boxes. Inspired by
this system, DabbaDrop delivers ready-made meals to your doorstep in London in reusable
tiffin boxes. Customers pay 15 pounds upfront for the container. Each delivery is carried
out by bike and the empty box from the previous meal is picked up, washed and reused by DabbaDrop.
Now let’s look at the “refill at home” category: you buy a container, you use it,
you buy a refill and refill your container yourself.
Replenish has created this spray bottle for cleaning and personal care. You attach at
the bottom a pod with liquid concentrates, you squeeze into a measuring cup to release
some product and add water to it in the main reservoir. One pod makes 6 bottles.
“Refill on the go” is pretty self-explanatory: you buy a container, use the product and refill
the container on the go.
Algramõ uses electric tricycles to bring to the customers doorstep the vending machine
to refill their durable containers. Customers use their smartphone to arrange the visit
of the tricycle via the Algramõ app and have an online account for payment, credits and
special rewards.
Coca-Cola has developed vending machines so people can refill their own water bottle with
customized drinks with bubbles or fruit flavours. A smartphone app helps users track locations
and pay online. DASANI PureFill stations are currently being installed on university campuses,
schools, hospitals, etc.
This last example does not really fall under the 4 categories because it works at the scale
of an entire country: Sweden. The Swedish Return System delivers crates and pallets
to the producer where they are filled and shipped to the wholesaler and then to the
retail outlet. The retailer empties them and sends them back to the wholesaler. Swedish
Return System takes back the reusable crates and pallets and does quality controls and
cleaning before using them again. Operated since 1997, it is currently used for half
the fresh food deliveries in Sweden!
If you know someone who is looking for an idea to start a business or to join a good
one, send them this video or the book. There are so many ways to get rid of all single
use packaging!
I received a bunch of emails over the past few months from people asking me what they
can to support this channel and my work. Well, the best thing is to make a pledge on Patreon
that applies to each new video I will post in the future. It helps me cover the production
cost and allows me to stay independent. You can also get perks like your name in the credits
of the video, download my drawings to use them for yourself and even you as a character
in the next video.
If you can’t contribute financially, not worries. You can always subscribe, share the
video with your friends and colleagues.
Thanks for sticking around until the end and thanks for watching!