The trend toward refillable and reusable packaging is gaining momentum as more companies explore ways to reduce their use of single-use, hard-to-recycle packaging. This growth is partly driven by the goal of the Plastic Pact to deliver reusable packaging by 2025. Many of these initiatives are coming from start-up and smaller brands, but multinational companies are also beginning to test the waters with small-scale trials and pilots. The dry food, household, and health and beauty sectors are currently the most active in this area.
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Topanga's reusable takeout package tracking technology helps increase container returns through incentives and automated reminders.ThePackHub
Topanga is a Los Angeles-based company that provides technology and services to help brands offer successful reusable packaging programs. Topanga’s track and trace technology makes it easy for a company to manage its reusable packaging operation. Topanga says that their technology helps drive higher return rates and monitor a customers’ reusable container inventory. It can also Increase container returns through incentives and automated reminders, while helping recoup costs on unreturned reusable containers. The technology tracks where the customers’ containers are, for example, who currently has the container, whether they need to or have returned it, whether it is being cleaned, and finally letting you know when it has been returned ready for re-use. Their technology can also measure things such as environmental impact and the number of containers saved from landfill. They have recently partnered with online food delivery business GrubHub for to-go dining hall orders for The Ohio State University and Colorado State University students.
Hey Circle's reusable shipping box is made of 95% PP, and the rest is PE.ThePackHub
Hey Circle is a German start up that began in early 2022. It allows customers to receive their purchases in reusable packaging. However, For reusable packs to be a sustainable alternative to disposable, it needs to be in circulation several times. For Hey Circle, this means that the shipping packaging has to hold its own against a normal box. With a reusable shipping box from the company, 40% of the CO2 emissions of a disposable box can be avoided with 40 circulations, despite the return of the empty boxes and bags. The packaging is patented and certified as climate-neutral by ClimatePartner. Their boxes and mailing bags are made of over 95% PP (polypropylene) and the rest is PE (polyethylene). As these are two commonly recycled materials this means that the shipping packaging can be recycled via two established material flows at the end of its first life cycle.
Ringo is piloting its reusable packaging in self-serve food counters at Rimi stores.ThePackHub
Estonian reusable packaging service provider Ringo has announced a partnership with major retailer Rimi to pilot reusable packaging in its ready-made food self-service counters at its Põhja, Telliskivi, and Tornimäe stores. The new trial system will offer consumers the choice between a 30-cent single-use pack or a 50-cent Ringo pack with a fully returnable deposit. The trial hopes to encourage the use of and increase access to reusable packaging among consumers. Consumers can then take the reusable pack back to a return box, where the on-pack QR code can be scanned to save the package to their phone number rather than an app. Once the package has arrived at the Ringo washing center, the deposit will be returned to the consumer’s bank or charity account. Rimi says that the pilot will last 6 months, and they chose stores that they thought more environmentally conscious people already visited.
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