Swapp! - Buy the amount you actually need, in a reusable container
Single-use packaging and how to avoid it
When you go shopping, it's hard to avoid single-use packaging - even if you're fully aware that it generates substantial waste and harms the environment. Consequently, there's increasing demand for circular alternatives which don't happily generate mountains of waste. Another disadvantage to the prevailing retail model is that it leads consumers to buy more than they need, resulting in food wastage and storage problems.
The Polish company Swapp! wants to tackle both of these problems: it encourages consumers to act sustainably by urging them to opt for reusable containers when they go shopping. Where feasible, the containers are paper (biodegradable, recyclable and renewable). Its ultimate goal is to enable customers to refill their containers at retail outlets, but there are a number of challenges to be addressed:
- Raising consumer awareness,
- Changing consumers' behaviour, and
- Ensuring product variety.
- Pilot refill stations have been launched in Carrefour and subsequently in other major retail chains in the Polish cities of Warsaw, Wroclaw and Krakow. These refill stations have helped reduce single-use plastic waste significantly.
- Swapp! is currently engaged in talks with several retail chains across Europe. Swapp! aims to become the leading solution provider in this industry, providing the most efficient solution for both producers and retailers.