Packaging News attended our Open Days in Solihull to learn more about the solution.

Read all about it in the March/ April edition here.

Experts from the University of Birmingham, together with specialists from across different plastics sectors (including GoUnpackaged) have collaborated on a series of recommendations which calls on Government to take the initiative on finding solutions to the plastics problem.

The recommendations were published yesterday in a Policy Commission report, The Sustainable Plastics Policy Commission: Key findings for the UK government. Read the Report here.

Great panel at Sustainable Plastics Manchester in talking alongside our friends from Dizzie about the increasing role of reuse & refill alongside other waste management solutions.

Whilst the transition from single-use to reuse is certainly challenging, there are clear commercial, operational and environmental benefits from reuse & refill vs. single-use.

It was standing room only for our panel at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2024 looking at the project as a case study in how to create a scaleable refill & reuse model that works for everyone in the supply chain.

Ocado, CHEP, InovateUK and the GoUnpackaged team were on hand to answer a series of questions from the floor as industry colleagues from across the packaging value chain took great interest in the solution.

Over 40 stakeholders from leading retailers and brands, NGO’s and Govrnent came to visit GoUnpackged’s Refill Coalition Open Days in Solihull to learn more about the first full scalable refill system that:

• removes single-use packaging from retailers: both primary and secondary

• reinvents the supply chain - removing single-use packaging from the moment goods are produced at the factory to consumers' cupboards at home.

See www.refillcoaltion.com to find out more!

Thanks to the Decarbonizing Commerce podcast - we discussed our work with the Refill Coalition; the drivers and barriers as it relates to reuse/refill and some of the pending legislation in Europe and beyond.

Listen here.

Listen to Catherine talking about pioneering the refill system with Bruce Bratley, founder of waste management company First Mile on the First Mile Climate Heroes podcast.

Link to podcast here.

Catherine spoke at SPC Engage at the Science Museum on 7th December on a panel with John Lewis Partnership & Ellen MacArthur Foundation discussing the role of retail in scaling reuse models.

It was a lively debate looking at the necessary conditions - policy change, standardisation, the development of shared assets and leadership from business; as well as priority categories for refill (dry goods, liquid household and personal care products) and returnables (fast moving products across beverages, food cupboard, personal care and fresh food).

After contributing evidence, we were pleased to attend the Policy Connect/ All-Party Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group launch event for its new publication Unpacking the Circular Economy: Unlocking reuse at scale.  

The report which sets out five key policy recommendations which would support the UK to capitalise on the potential of reusable packaging products and systems to accomplish the UK’s circular economy ambitions.  

The report identifies a missed opportunity in the current policy landscape to prioritise reuse and calls for the Government to provide an effective long-term delivery plan for collection and packaging reforms which recognises the role of reusable packaging. Read it here.

Over 400 packaging and reuse experts came together in Utrecht on Monday 27th Nov at the Reusable Packaging Fair, organised by KIDV and Mission Reuse. We were invited to present our findings from The Refill Coalition and speak directly to retailers and partners.

GoUnpackaged was pleased to support this vital piece of research.

It was interesting to see that “in some applications, a certain level of scale and system efficiency is necessary to compete environmentally with single use. When comparing single-use flexible packaging to rigid, returnable packaging, returnable packaging only outperforms single use on GHG emissions and material use when a Collaborative Approach scenario is achieved” and to think about the role that #refill can play to tackle different product categories & use cases through complimentary systems.

GoUnpackaged’s Catherine was invited onto our friends at Future Planet’s amazing podcast (Episode 10) to talk all things packaging, sustainability and creating change. Click here to listen to the episode.

GoUnpackaged gave evidence on reuse to this vital piece of policy research.

The Birmingham Plastics Network Policy Commission aims to bring together voices from across the plastics landscape to develop a set of well informed, evidence-based, policy recommendations which will promote a sustainable future for plastics in the UK, enhancing the positive contributions that plastics make to our lives whilst minimising the negative impacts across their life cycle.

Unpackaged is now GoUnpackaged!

After 17 years driving reuse in many different ways, we thought it was time for a little refresh to show more of who we are now.

At GoUnpackaged, we help clients reduce their single-use packaging footprint by transitioning to reusable & refillable packaging.

We focus on 3 core areas:

• Solutions

• Consultancy

• Policy & Research

Find out more about how we can help you here.

We were proud to be invited by our funders Innovate UK to present The Refill Coalition solution at RWM 2023 - Resource & Waste Management Expo - the leading event for waste, recycling and resource professionals, working together to accelerate change towards a more sustainable planet.

NewERA, Europe’s foremost association of reuse organisations held an event in Brussels in September focusing on how to “Unleash the potential of reuse systems across Europe". The GoUnpackaged team was present to continue to build alliances with our European neighbours.

The inaugural Global Reuse Summit took place in London in July, hosted by our long-term collaborators City To Sea. We were proud to speak twice: Catherine kicked the day off by setting the scene and explaining the importance of reuse; whilst Helen took the message of The Refill Coalition to a lively panel discussing the future for reuse in retail.