According to a report published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation on the potential for reusable packaging, “Converting 20% of plastic packaging into reuse models is a USD $10 billion business opportunity that benefits customers and represents a crucial element in the quest to eliminate plastic waste and pollution.” While brands and retailers have been slow to adopt reusable packaging systems at scale, there has been some movement.
As categorized by the report, there are four reusable/refillable packaging models, one of which is refill-on-the-go, where consumers refill reusable packaging at a dispensing point away from home, such as in a store. One company offering a circular in-store refill system is Czech-based MIWA (Minimum Waste), which has announced it is partnering with dm-drogerie markt shops in Germany on a refill pilot. MIWA is supplying dm with refillable/reusable modules that will minimize packaging waste for a variety of loose food products, such as pasta, rice, muesli, flakes, nuts, and almonds, under dm’s dmBio private-label brand.
