May I introduce: Loop, the new zero waste online shop

The bad news comes first: the zero-waste platform Loop will initially only be available in the US and France. This means we'll probably have to wait a bit longer.
Nevertheless, I would like to tell you about what Loop is, how it works and why the whole thing is so exciting.

What is Loop? – A brief overview

Loop is an online shop that aims to facilitate zero-waste shopping. You can order products from well-known brands like Häagen-Dazs, Oral-B, and Dove. However, instead of being delivered in paper boxes and wrapped in plastic or paper as usual, they are sent in reusable containers. Once you've used up the product, you can send the container back to Loop. There, it will be hygienically cleaned and ready for use by the next customer.

What is behind Loop?

The platform is about to open its online doors. The first real pilot projects will start in spring 2019. Loop is a collaboration between several well-known brands that manufacture consumer products. One of these partners is Tom Szaky, CEO and co-founder of TerraCycle – a company committed to recycling hard-to-recycle materials.
He says: "Although recycling is really important, it doesn't address the root cause of waste production. More and more plastic is still ending up in the oceans. No matter how much we clean the oceans, we won't solve the problem. Loop was born out of this problem... For us, the root cause isn't the plastic itself, but rather the fact that consumers only use things once. That's exactly what Loop wants to change as much as possible."

PHOTO FROM LOOPSTORE.COM

What does an order look like?

TerraCycle worked with companies like Unilever, PepsiCo, and Nestlé for over a year to build the platform. Every package Loop ships can be reused over 100 times. When the time is right, you can pick up your desired products in the

Order from Loop's online shop. You pay a little more than usual for reusable packaging. This usually comes in cans or bottles, like for deodorant, for example. The products then arrive at the customer's home not in the cardboard box we're used to, but in a reusable bag that, at first glance, resembles a cooler bag.
Once a product has been used up, the empty container is simply placed back in the bag. Once the bag is full, the consumer can request a driver to pick up the bag on the Loop website. Alternatively, they can drop off the bag themselves at a UPS store.

PHOTO FROM LOOPSTORE.COM

What are the benefits for the consumer?

The process should be as seamless as possible for consumers. Szaky says it's really difficult to convince consumers to change themselves or their behavior. "So we initially asked ourselves why disposable and single-use products are so popular. I think the reason is that disposable products are convenient and affordable; people can afford them," says Szaky.

Of course, there are other approaches as well. Reusable glass containers and zero-waste supermarkets are becoming increasingly common – even here in Germany.However, these solutions are often more impractical and expensive than standard plastic packaging, making it difficult for these projects to survive. The general public then prefers the more convenient plastic option.

Loop therefore aims to make the process as convenient and straightforward for consumers as it is with disposable products. You don't even have to rinse or wash the empty containers; you simply throw them back in your bag—but instead of throwing them in the trash.

Nevertheless, Loop is a bit more expensive for the customer than local supermarkets. You pay a small fee for the reusable container, but the products themselves do not cost more than the usual price. In addition, the consumer also covers shipping and returns. However, Loop ships a certain number of products free of charge, depending on the weight of the total order.

How do shipping and returns work?

UPS will handle shipping and pickup of the bags in the pilot project. Patrick Browne, who is responsible for sustainability at UPS, says that Loop's system fits into existing UPS processes and can be integrated seamlessly. While the driver drops off packages on a fixed route, he also collects bags. This way, he leaves with a full car in the morning and returns with a full car in the evening.

PHOTO FROM LOOPSTORE.COM

If they return an "empty" bag with used products, the customer receives a small portion of their money back. The empty containers are then sent to a facility for cleaning and then sent on to factories where they are refilled. All this back-and-forth naturally leaves a carbon footprint. However, TerraCycle calculated that this approach is still 50-75% better for the environment than conventional methods.

Loop's packaging and containers not only look better on shelves than plastic and paper packaging, but in the case of Häagen-Dazs ice cream, the packaging also has a functional advantage—it can keep the ice cream cool for several hours.

The brands Loop works with have also made some changes to the products themselves during the product design process to make them use less water or easier to reuse.

A truly innovative zero-waste concept or just a marketing gimmick?

This question cannot be answered yet. We'll have to wait and see how the pilot projects pan out. Whether this model works in today's world remains to be seen. In addition to questions surrounding product production, delivery, and the durability of the containers, the main focus is on whether consumers accept the concept. The popularity of the brands Loop works with will likely help with this. Loop doesn't offer customers "new" products in the truest sense, but simply a new way of accessing products that have already proven successful for customers.

In a second step, the products will not only be available online but will also find their way into retail stores. This, however, also depends on how Loop launches. If the pilot projects go well, Loop could soon reach Germany and the rest of the world.

Here's another interesting fact: 8 of the 10 companies named by Greenpeace as the "world's largest contributors to the plastic waste crisis" are part of Loop.It looks like these companies are realizing that something fundamental needs to change. Not only for their own good, but hopefully also for the good of the environment.

If you want to learn more about zero waste and sustainability, mindfulness or healthy nutrition, take a look here over.

PHOTO FROM LOOPSTORE.COM