From disposable to durable: DS Smith Plastics launches returnable grocery model for retail

26 Aug 2019 --- DS Smith Plastics has launched a new line of returnable alternatives to single-use packaging in the retail arena, coined Loop Ready Packaging (LRP). The line was designed following positive customer feedback to DS Smith Plastic’s returnable beverage pack, Fillbee. The LRP range is largely targeting the retail space and seeks to deliver benefits for brands, retailers, consumers and the planet, according to the company.

Reusability, if done right, is contrary to the most pervasive symptoms of the waste crisis – single-use and disposability. Essentially, to encourage a circular economy, the typical, linear business model needs to be revisited and debunked. This understanding has been steadily gaining prominence, particularly in light of the high-profile debate around plastic. On this note, WRAP Director Peter Maddox highlights that rethinking business models around how goods are transported around the economy – which is really what packaging is for – is fundamental. This is where returnable solutions can play a role. 

“We had a lot of positive feedback about Fillbee, so we started some research asking different stakeholders if they would be interested in a comparable concept for food. Based on the fact that the concept produces seven times less CO2 emissions key players showed a lot of interest. Furthermore, together with the carriers, we are also launching trays for transport that fit on an Euro-pallet so it covers the entire supply chain. We use the term ‘Fillbee’ for this concept as well,” Tinne De Pooter, Marketing Manager, DS Smith, Plastics Division, tells PackagingInsights.DS Smith Plastics has launched a new line of returnable alternatives to single-use packaging in the retail arena, coined Loop Ready Packaging (LRP).

Consumers will pay a small deposit on the LRP when making their purchase. Once they have finished the items, they return the packaging and jars to the store for a refund of the deposit. This process mirrors the automated system of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), when a machine scans the packaging and contents and provides a coupon with a store credit for future purchases.

“This system has worked successfully with returnable crates for beverages for more than 50 years. It reminds us of the milkman delivering returnable milk bottles. It could work just as well for peas,” says Paul Baeyens, Managing Director, DS Smith Plastics. “At DS Smith Plastics we are constantly on the look-out for new innovations, greater sustainability and inspiration. Sometimes you need to look to the past to find the right inspiration.”

De Pooter explains that the solution is applicable for a range of beverage types, such as beer, soft drinks and water. It is also suited to food applications, including non-perishables such as vegetables, tomato sauce and cereals, as well as yogurt and smoothies.

The system can also offer savings benefits to brands. The company describes that bulk purchases of four, six or eight items at a time will increase sales while simultaneously lowering handling costs. Meanwhile, marketing departments can use the on-shelf visibility aspect and in the case of a change in branding, or a promotion, the font-of-pack stickers can be updated.

Eliminating one-way packaging waste
As concern around packaging waste rises, a number of innovative solutions have sprouted to reduce one-way packaging waste.

Most notably, waste management expert Terracycle launched Loop, a project that aims to deliver grocery orders undamaged, yet with no disposable packaging destined for the trash or recycling bin after use. 

Growth is occurring at a double-digit rate within the online groceries market and the potential for a reusable platform that can operate within existing e-commerce systems is large. Among the brands taking part are household names such as Procter & Gamble (P&G), Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever, Mars Petcare, The Clorox Company, The Body Shop and Coca-Cola – but the platform is also open to private label and smaller brands. The solution has already launched in Paris and New York.

In the bottled water space, consumers are increasingly aware of the amount of plastic waste they produce and are actively seeking reusable and at-home devices. In this way, the once-innocent PET water bottle has become a kind of symbol for the current anti-plastic movement.

In April, evian unveiled its (re)new solution – an in-home water appliance that reportedly offers a significant reduction in plastic packaging through a combination of reuse and recycling. Consumers attach a thin 5-liter “bubble” of water to the appliance, which gradually contracts as the water is consumed. 

By Laxmi Haigh