The partnership is intended to launch in 2021. Posted by Megan Smalley Tupperware Brands, Orlando, Florida, has announced that it is partnering with TerraCycle’s circular reuse platform Loop, which is aimed at eliminating waste and improving delivery, design and features of products. According to a news release from Tupperware Brands, the partnership is intended to launch in 2021, initially offering consumers in the U.S. the ability to purchase products from leading consumer brands and retailers packaged in durable, reusable Tupperware products. The news release states that Loop is a global reuse platform that partners with brands and retailers with a goal of shifting from a disposable to a durable supply chain where manufacturers own their packaging in the long term. With this model, consumers own the product inside the package but not the package itself, and products available on the Loop platform are packaged and shipped directly to consumers in a specially designed tote. The products are retrieved through free at-home pickup, then cleaned, refilled and reused. “We couldn’t have a more qualified partner than Tupperware to be our first plastics container brand partner,” says TerraCycle and Loop CEO Tom Szaky. “Their long heritage and knowledge in durable, reusable product development makes them a valuable resource to our partners who are looking to improve the design and functionality of their packaging.” Both Tupperware and TerraCycle report that they are “aligned in the collective mission to reduce waste through a circular recycling system.” The companies’ collaboration will provide a new packaging offering for Loop while advancing Tupperware’s No Time to Waste initiative, which aims to reduce single-use plastic and food waste by 2025. Tupperware reports that it is the first reusable plastic container brand partner for Loop. Patricio Cuesta, president of Commercial Worldwide at Tupperware Brands says teaming with Loop will enable the company to use its knowledge in product design and reusability to contribute to the circular recycling model. “This partnership also allows us to learn more on how to address single-use plastic in the packaging of our own products to make it more sustainable for the future,” he says. Tupperware has also made other steps toward sustainability lately. Last year, the company debuted its reusable Eco Straw in select markets, which was manufactured using Eco+. The company describes Eco+ as circular polymers that are made by depolymerizing mixed plastics to produce high-quality food-grade plastics. Recycling Today reports more on that product and other Tupperware initiatives here.  

TerraCycle’s milkman-like delivery model, Loop, expands online and at brick-and-mortar locations. Kate Bertrand Connolly 1 | Nov 04, 2020 Following a successful pilot program that started in 2019, the Loop circular shopping platform from TerraCycle has expanded its online operation to provide an unlimited number of US consumers from coast to coast with home delivery of products packed in reusable packaging, as well as pickup of the empty packages. Loop also made its brick-and-mortar debut recently, in France. “Carrefour just brought Loop into its first store,” says Eric Rosen, publicist, US public relations, for Loop/TerraCycle. “We anticipate Loop being in-store in other retailers in 2021.” Carrefour’s online Loop service launched in Paris last year. Following a successful pilot program that started in 2019, the Loop circular shopping platform from TerraCycle has expanded its online operation to provide an unlimited number of US consumers from coast to coast with home delivery of products packed in reusable packaging, as well as pickup of the empty packages. Loop also made its brick-and-mortar debut recently, in France. “Carrefour just brought Loop into its first store,” says Eric Rosen, publicist, US public relations, for Loop/TerraCycle. “We anticipate Loop being in-store in other retailers in 2021.” Carrefour’s online Loop service launched in Paris last year. In the United States, consumers will find Loop products at Kroger stores starting in 2021. Also in North America, Burger King and Tim Hortons restaurants plan to launch Loop pilot projects next year. Loop’s online scale-up coincides with an explosion in internet shopping and home delivery fueled by the COVID-19 virus, though it’s also a natural next step considering the success of the pilot program. More than 100,000 people have signed up for the service to date. With the online version of Loop, consumers buy products that have been filled into reusable packaging made, for example, of metal or glass. They then return the empty packages to Loop, which cleans the packages for refilling by Loop’s brand partners. Loop packs consumer orders into reusable totes for delivery, and consumers return the empty packaging to Loop using the same totes. Loop products are packed and shipped from the company’s New Jersey warehouse to all US ZIP codes. (Frozen products are only shipped to locations where delivery can be made within 24 hours.) The platform launched in 2019 as a pilot program in the Mid-Atlantic United States and Paris, France. In July 2020, Loop launched online in the United Kingdom, working in partnership with retailer Tesco. A Canadian online launch is planned for Toronto in February 2021. Loop has expanded rapidly vis-à-vis brand partners and product selection, now offering more than 80 brands and 400 products in the United States and Europe. Product categories include grocery, beauty, health and personal care, and household essentials. Brand owners range from giants like Nestlé and Procter & Gamble to start-ups like Soapply. Next year will be an important one for Loop in brick-and-mortar restaurants and stores. Burger King plans to start a pilot Loop program in 2021 that will offer eat-in and to-go customers sandwiches and drinks packed in returnable, reusable food containers and cups. Consumers who choose the reusable packaging will pay a deposit when they place their order and get the deposit back after returning the packaging to Burger King. The pilot will start in select Burger King restaurants in New York City; Portland, Oregon; and Tokyo, with additional cities to join in the months that follow. Canada’s Tim Hortons quick-service restaurant chain has announced a similar Loop pilot. The program will start in 2021 at select Tim Hortons restaurants in Toronto. Also starting next year, US consumers will be able to visit Loop in-store at select Kroger locations. The plan for Loop in brick-and-mortar stores is not only to sell Loop products but also to collect the empty packaging for cleaning and reuse. Loop publicist Rosen discusses the program’s burgeoning expansion, both online and in-store, in this exclusive Packaging Digest Q&A. How many brick-and-mortar retailers in the United States will be selling Loop products in 2021? Is this a channel Loop is interested in exploring further? What have consumers said about their willingness (or not) to take empty packages back to a physical store? Rosen: As of now, in the United States, there will be one brick-and-mortar retailer, Kroger, selling Loop products in-store in 2021. There are, however, many retailers who are and will be integrating Loop into their ecommerce platforms. Yes, [in-store] is a channel Loop is pursuing and will continue to pursue. In fact, Loop just opened in its first brick-and-mortar retailer — Carrefour in France. As for consumers’ willingness to take empties back to a physical store, while we haven’t surveyed consumers, we believe returning empty packaging will be embraced. When will Loop be expanding into additional markets in Europe and Asia, either online or via brick-and-mortar stores? Rosen: Loop will be launching in Canada, Australia, and Japan in 2021. We will continue to seek opportunities to launch in other countries and will be announcing more as we solidify plans. How will Loop, brand owners, and/or retailers educate consumers about how in-store Loop works and its benefits? Rosen: Loop, brand owners, and retailers educate consumers through websites, social media, and earned media placements in outlets worldwide.

Now that the Loop program is national in the United States, how many locations are cleaning the empty, returned packages?

Rosen: In the United States, the cleaning facility is in Pennsylvania. We will be adding facilities as we scale.

What, if anything, has changed in the logistics of the Loop program (outgoing and incoming packages)? What, if anything, has changed with the lifecycle analysis of the packages sold in the Loop program because of the additional distances?

Rosen: Nothing has changed in the logistics. Based on Loop’s third-party lifecycle analysis, creating a durable (or “reusable”) container uses more energy and resources than creating a disposable (or “single-use”) container. However, over time, the reusable container has a lower environmental and economic cost, as it does not need to be remanufactured on every use. Instead, it is transported and cleaned, which is a much lower environmental cost. According to Loop, the efficiency of a reusable package in Loop is even more evident as consumers participate repeatedly. After two to three uses of the packaging, the environmental impact is breakeven. By 10 uses, there is a more than 35% reduction in environmental impacts.

Are all products still being shipped to consumers from Loop’s New Jersey warehouse? Is that still the plan moving forward, to have just one warehouse?

Rosen: Loop’s New Jersey warehouse ships all products in the United States. As we scale, we intend to have additional warehousing in other parts of the country. The Loop warehouse in France is in Lille, and the one in the United Kingdom is in Crick.

How well are the durable packages holding up to use, cleaning, and reuse? Are the brands getting the number of uses they hoped they would?

Rosen: The durable packaging is holding up well as it goes through Loop cycles. I can’t comment on the brands, and what their expectations were/are.

Is UPS still Loop’s only partner for deliveries/pickups? Are there any plans for additional delivery services to be involved, especially as volumes and delivery areas are growing?

Rosen: Yes, Loop’s US logistics partner is UPS. In France, it’s Colisweb, and in the UK, it’s DPD. There are no plans for additional delivery services to be involved.

The allergen warning on the Loop website states: “Please note that the Loop Tote is packed in a facility that may have handled wheat, milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, and soy, and may contain traces of the same. If you or someone in your family has a serious food allergy, Loop may not be for you.” Are there any plans to address this, so people can safely order Loop products without worry from allergens?

Rosen: There are no current plans to address this.

Who designs the Loop packages?

Rosen: Each brand partner is responsible for the design of its packaging. All packaging must be approved by Loop.

What is the size range of Loop packages?

Rosen: The smallest container is 20 ml (less than an ounce) for Tea Tree Oil from The Body Shop. The biggest package is an 8-lb container for kitty litter from Purina.

How have consumers reacted to Loop since its launch last year?

Rosen: We have had an overwhelmingly positive response to Loop since its launch. In fact, meeting consumer demand is what led to the rapid expansion — from 10 states to every ZIP code in the contiguous 48 states. We have more than 100,000 sign-ups, and that continues to grow.    

The winners of the 2020 Sustainable Beauty Awards were announced today at a virtual awards ceremony. The aim of the Sustainable Beauty Awards is to give recognition to operators who are pushing the boundaries of sustainability in the beauty industry. The winners and runners-up of these international awards include: New Sustainable Product Hair O’right International (Taiwan) is the winner with its N° Zero Toothpaste. Launched in January, the natural toothpaste is carbon neutral and formulated with food-grade ingredients that are certified according to the USDA bio-based program. Faith in Nature (UK) is runner-up with its Natural Shampoo Bar. The finalists are Comfort Zone Sacred Nature Youth Serum, Martina Gebhardt SATIS Dental Teeth Cleaning Powder, and Pegada Verde lda Naua Natural Care. Sustainable Ingredient The winner is Actera Ingredients (USA) with ILOX+. The natural antioxidant ingredient is made from yerba mate leaves which are ethically sourced from the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil. The company works with the Araucária+ Initiative to ensure sustainable forest management. There are two runner-ups this year: Mibelle Biochemistry (Switzerland) with Black BeeOme and ROELMI HPC (Italy) with Emotion Light. The finalists are Döhler YuraQ, Olvea TrueShea, and Swedish Algae Factory Algica. Sustainable Packaging Lush (UK) gets top award for its Cork Pots carbon-positive packaging. Sourced from the Cork Oak Forest in Portugal, the project has involved the replanting of over 20,000 native trees. The innovative packaging is used for its naked products, such as shampoo bars, conditioners, soaps, etc. Myro (USA) is the runner-up. In 2018, the company introduced its natural deodorants in refillable pods. OLIKA, REN Clean Skincare, and Weckerle Cosmetics are the finalists. Sustainability Pioneer TerraCycle (USA) is the winner for its innovative approaches to removing waste. It is setting up recycling bins for personal care products, recycling waste materials, and launched the Loop shopping platform to help create a circular economy. Hair O'right International (Taiwan) is runner-up. It is the first Taiwanese company to carry the carbon footprint and carbon neutral labels. Clariant, LMR Naturals by IFF, and Liv Trading are the finalists. Sustainability Leadership AAK Personal Care (Sweden) and Lush (UK) are joint winners. AAK Personal Care has set up sustainable supply chains for its raw materials, including shea butter in West Africa. The projects are helping improving the lives of smallholders. Since it was formed in 1995, Lush has been spearheading green initiatives in the beauty industry. From the ethical sourcing of raw materials, production processes, (Naked) packaging initiative, to waste management. Croda International (UK) is the runner-up. Other finalists are Aveda and Hair O'right International. “There was an exceptionally high caliber of entries this year,” commented Amarjit Sahota, founder of Ecovia Intelligence and organizer of the Sustainable Beauty Awards. “On behalf of the judging panel, I would like to congratulate Lush, Hair o’Right, Actera Ingredients, TerraCycle and AAK Personal Care for their achievements. We hope these awards inspire more companies to take the green road.”

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Hambúrguer com batata frita é uma delícia, mas você já parou para pensar na quantidade de lixo que uma rede de fast food produz todos os dias? Foi pensando nisso que o Burger King acaba de anunciar um projeto piloto que vai adotar embalagens retornáveis.

Last year, an Impossible Whopper — next year, reusable packaging? Burger King has been leading the charge on food service sustainability and is now taking a step into the circular economy. The fast food chain announced earlier this month that it will begin offering reusable packaging, starting next year. A trial will begin at select restaurants in New York, Portland and Tokyo for sandwiches and drinks. Making this move possible is Burger King’s partnership with TerraCycle’s Loop initiative, which facilitates corporate transitions to reusable packaging. The trial is part of Burger King’s goal to source all packaging from renewable, recyclable or certified sources by 2025. And this step forward couldn’t have come at a better time, as many restaurants have resorted to single-use options during the coronavirus pandemic.

Some of the talk at last week’s Smart Kitchen Summit revolved around two newish concepts that are especially compelling when it comes to thinking about restaurants: in-house delivery and disrupting third-party delivery. Together, the two could substantially shift the the off-premises meal journey of the future. Technically, in-house delivery — also called “native delivery” or “direct delivery” — is a decades old practice championed by Domino’s, Jimmy John’s, and other restaurants that have always used their own staff to ferry orders to customers’ doorsteps. But ever since customer demand for delivery went through the roof and then some, most restaurants have found it more economically feasible to offload delivery operations to third-party services like DoorDash and Uber Eats. As we cover ad nauseam around here, third-party delivery comes with its own lengthy catalog of grievances, and many restaurants don’t actually make money from those orders. On top of that, they lose control of customer relationships and oftentimes their own branding.

Burger King is the world's second-largest hamburger chain, but they're aiming to beat top dog McDonald's in the area of sustainable packaging. The monarchy-themed fast-fooderie has decreed that reusable packaging shall be rolled out in the royal cities of New York, Portland and Tokyo.

I'm not sure if customers will go for this. The idea is that you order a meal and specify you want the reusable packaging, which you're then charged a deposit for. When you return it, the deposit is refunded. The packaging is then washed, though it's not clear where or how; the press release just states that this part of the process is handled by partner TerraCycle's "circular packaging service, Loop."

I admire the effort--but I'm not sure they've thought the UX through. For example, let's say I order BK takeout and ask for the reusable packaging. Later that week I return to BK with the packaging, and I order a new meal through the drive-thru window, and ask for the reusable packaging again. Do I say "but don't charge me for it, because I'm bringing back reusable packaging from last time" and they take my word for it while I'm still at the intercom?

Tim Hortons is a big deal in Canada. Almost every Canadian will tell you what their go-to order is – a double-double, a French Vanilla Cappuccino, a box of Timbits. (As a Canadian myself, I don't even know what these would be called anywhere else – "doughnut holes," perhaps?)

I'm not a huge fan of the coffee myself, preferring to seek out small, independently-owned, fair-trade coffee shops when I need caffeine on the go, but I am a big fan of Tim Hortons latest announcement that they're joining forces with TerraCycle's zero-waste food packaging initiative, Loop, to offer reusable coffee cups in the near future.

TerraCycle is a company built on the goal of "eliminating the idea of waste" by making that which is non-recyclable, recyclable. From coffee pods and pet food bags, to cigarette butts and PPE, TerraCycle collects and recycles a wide range of waste types.