It has been around for a long time for drinks bottles, and the mandatory deposit was even extended at the beginning of the year. However, companies are also increasingly thinking about how other reusable systems can be created for other products and packaging. In 2021, Sea Me GmbH began to set up a cycle in which the packaging for its own products, such as soaps and lotions, can be returned, cleaned and refilled. The company launched zerooo for this purpose.
Sea Me product packaging is now available in over 900 shops in Germany and Austria, and the company is looking for more partners. The goal is to, Zero waste along the entire value chain to reach.
The reusable system for drugstores not only has a positive impact on the environment and the climate, but also brings benefits for retailers and consumers. The more trading partners participate in the system, the more environmentally friendly the return and transport will be of the packaging. The distances are becoming shorter, which reduces emissions, and recycling methods such as incineration are not the last stop in the packaging's life cycle.
Müller, Edeka and Rewe are currently among zerooo's partners, as well as other drugstores, food retailers, unpackaged shops and concept stores. The company is not alone in its belief in the benefits of a reusable system for drugstores. Environmental organisations such as the WWF and Deutsche Umwelthilfe see reusable packaging as an opportunity to close resource cycles. Particularly important for zerooo on the way to a The circular value chain includes running washing lines, the preparation or further processing of the closures and the return of the labels to the waste paper stream.
