REUSE & REFILL CONSULTANCY
Specialists in reuse and refill, Unpackaged partners with forward-thinking clients across the retail supply chain, and beyond, to help them reduce their single-use packaging footprint.
““The insight and expertise provided by Unpackaged has been invaluable in ensuring we have delivered Waitrose Unpacked in an exciting and engaging way for our Oxford customers. This has huge potential to change how people shop in the future. ””
WHAT WE DO
Our reuse expertise spans these four areas:
1. INNOVATION
Do you want to introduce radical innovation that makes a real, positive impact on the environment and meets your customers’ needs?
The world has woken up to the packaging crisis, and incremental change will only begin to scratch the surface. We use the latest insights tools to unearth your customers’ unspoken needs and facilitate highly structured and energising workshops to explore how you might meet them with innovative reuse solutions. Wherever possible, we work with your internal team to create and develop new ideas, making sure they’re brought along for the journey.
Recent examples:
Convening and leading the Refill Coalition, a groundbreaking cross-sector, collaborative, refillable packaging project including both in-store and home delivery, with funding from InnovateUK
Defining an innovative reusable supply chain concept and feasibility study in partnership with global supply chain company CHEP
Working closely with Waitrose to develop the Unpacked concept, making them the first UK supermarket to introduce bulk refill, with fantastic results from their trial:
98% reduction in single-use plastic packaging
130,000 pieces of single use plastic packaging removed from the waste stream
1.5 tonnes of packaging avoided
Leading Nestlé on a retail safari, to help them understand and imagine what reuse could mean for a global FMCG company
Waitrose Unpacked 2019
2. STRATEGY, ANALYSIS & MODELLING
Do you want to reduce your organisation’s packaging footprint through reuse, but need help deciding where to focus your efforts and building the business case?
We produce strategic research, packaging analysis and detailed modelling that will help you get clear on what you’re trying to achieve, aligning environmental impact with commercial opportunities. Our approach brings together the latest industry thinking with future-state analysis and the context of your organisation to help you set your ambition for reuse and build it into your long-term sustainability strategy.
Recent examples:
Conducting a feasibility study to assess the cost/savings impact of a scaled reusable supply chain vessel, plus market sizing to develop an internal business case
Analysing packaging data to identify environmental hot spots and strategic opportunities for a UK grocery retailer
Producing a reuse strategy paper and recommendations for a major UK retailer in order to secure board-level buy-in
Abel & Cole’s Club Zero 2020
3. REUSE IMPLEMENTATION
M&S Fill Your Own, Hedge End
Do you want to enable your customers to shop packaging-free in your store - either physical or online?
Having started out as the world’s first modern zero waste store back in 2006 and stayed at the forefront of change in the industry ever since, Unpackaged would be delighted to help.
Reuse are refill are still new concepts for many. We have a practical, hands-on approach and will bring the latest thinking on everything from operations, regulation and staff training to product range and customer experience, to help you implement a high quality, engaging reuse experience for your customers.
Recent examples:
Our partnership with Planet Organic, the UK's first fully certified organic supermarket, bringing bulk refill to their stores across London since 2015
Helping Abel & Cole design and launch their award-winning Zero Waste home delivery solution, Club Zero
Advising M&S on their first Fill Your Own concept launch at Hedge End, which led to 25 of their 44 products selling at higher volumes than pre-pack alternatives
Working with Italian marketplace Eataly to introduce a bulk refill section in their first outpost in the UK, at Liverpool Street
Helping Sony HQ introduce a refill zone for their employees at their London head office
4. RESEARCH & POLICY
Report produced for the Rethink Plastic Alliance, 2022
We conduct research, produce action-focused reports and advise NGOs and strategic bodies, helping them to identify, influence and develop the policy frameworks and conditions needed for refill and reuse to thrive.
Recent examples:
Conducting in-depth research into effective, just and inclusive packaging reuse systems and delivery models for the Rethink Plastic Alliance, and writing a compelling summary report: “A Just Transition to Reusable Packaging”
Writing a briefing document used by leading environmental charity Greenpeace to inform and influence the retail and FMCG industries
Leading the consultation on an aspirational reuse target-setting exercise for WRAP and its UK Plastics Pact members
Contributing practical, expert guidance on reuse to “Plastic Perspectives”, a benchmark report produced by environmental law charity Client Earth and VBDO (the Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development) to educate and influence the investor community
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