Frustration as a driving force for a circular change of e-commerce

Frustration as a driving force for a circular change of e-commerce

E-commerce exploded during the pandemic. But in both the grocery trade and the growing e-commerce, a large amount of plastic and paper bags are consumed that today are neither recycled or reused. So what can we do about this? Antrop took on the question together with Axfoundation, a non-profit organization working towards building a sustainable society and Svenska Retursystem, who develop and operate an efficient reusable system. Together we developed a hypothesis for a solution called Returbar.

Challenge: A significant amount of paper bags are neither reused nor recycled


Food deliveries generate large amounts of paper bags and boxes. They are not reused or handed in for recycling to the extent required in a circular economy. This is not sustainable. So in December 2020, the LOOP team gathered actors from the e-commerce industry to explore how we could build more circularity into the ongoing e-commerce boom. This is where the idea of ​​”Returbar” was born – a project with the aim of creating a system for circular e-commerce deliveries.


Customers are ready

Many customers today have become accustomed to reusing or bringing reusable bags to the store. The large number of bags that e-commerce deliveries lead to creates great frustration among the clients. Antrop’s study of the customer experience showed that:

  • Half of the customers are frustrated with today’s system.
  • Almost everyone feels that there are too many bags.
  • Most people leave their bags directly for recycling, without reusing them.
There are an incredible number of bags to handle. We order groceries every week, sometimes several times, and it does not take long before the house is flooded with paper bags. We try to reuse them but there are simply too many
- Customer quote

Process: Circular solution is needed

 

Antrop worked together with Axfoundation and Svenska Retursystem (SRS) to realize an idea for circular load carriers, i.e. return bags for food deliveries to consumers. This was to reduce the CO2 footprint in e-commerce and make it easier for consumers to act more circularly.

The work we did included developing a hypothesis for an actual solution based on external surveys, future plans for stores intended only for online shopping, so-called “dark stores”, international initiatives, customer surveys and a simpler life cycle analysis. The project was named “Returbar” (Returnable).

– There are many habitual behaviors associated with the use of bags. Something that we believe should be challenged through industry-wide initiatives for the sake of consumers, says Maria Klint, circular service designer at Antrop.

An important aspect is that the solution is common to the entire industry. Partly because it is in demand by customers and increases the possibility of creating behavioral changes that persist, but also because it can create opportunities for further cooperation in reverse logistics, i.e. the flow of goods and services between a company and a customer after goods or services have been performed .

Results: Important insights and positive feedback

 

The Returbar idea received a positive response when it was presented to organisations in the grocery industry such as Coop, Axfood and ICA. However, due to the rapid increase in e-commerce sales during the pandemic, these organisations’ primary focus has been to meet the demand. Therefore, the Returbar project is currently on pause.

"We don’t want to see this as a failure as the project has generated useful insights, and raised the issue of circular load carriers high on the agenda in the grocery trade and Axfoundation intends to take care of the insights and see if they can be useful in other areas"
- says Amelie Silfverstolpe , responsible for Sustainable Innovation at Axfoundation.

The idea for Returbar came from a LOOP Lab organized by the Nordic LOOP team in December 2020.

Contact us for more information!

Maria Klint

Service Designer +46 763 446681 maria.klint@antrop.se

Check out other events & case stories

Let’s build circularity around the next generation!

Let's build circularity around the next generation!

The norm today is to buy new things, like clothes, toys, books or sports equipment, for our kids. But why, when we know the kids will lose interest and grow out of them within months? What will the future of toys and childrenswear look like with circular solutions? Join us in a LOOP Lab with focus on kids. And let’s build circularity around the next generation!

The value of the global toy market was over 90 billion USD and the value of childrenswear market over 230 billion USD in 2019. Childrenswear is the fastest area of the fashion market as children go through about 8 to 10 sizes of clothes before the age of 3. And 80% of all kids toys end up thrown away in landfills, incinerators or oceans.
 

Less environmentally friendly households

It is not surprising that becoming a parent makes your household 25% less environmentally friendly. However, 71% of parents say they became more concerned about sustainability after having a child. 

Clearly there is a need and demand to find better models to produce, use and reuse toys, baby equipment and clothes.

The next generation needs to grow up in a world where circularity is mainstream. To get there:
  • Businesses need to offer circular solutions
  • Parents need to shift their mindset and live by example
  • By doing so, kids will be introduced to a circular mindset from an early age.
What will the future of toys and childrenswear look like with circular solutions? We invite businesses, experts and parents (anyone who produces, sells, resells, repairs or buys toys, books, games or sports equipment for kids) to join us in a digital workshop to explore the opportunities of circularity.

What?

One digital workshop based on design thinking methodology. Our team will facilitate the session and it does not included any preparations from you. We only expect you to bring and share your own insights and experiences.

Who?

You are a Nordic professional excited to explore business with circular solutions. Maybe you are working in toy manufacturing, retail, childrenswear, baby products or resale/reuse.

When and where?

November 24th at 10am to 12pm  CET
at the Nordic Circular Summit (online)
 

Goal

For you to get inspired to take action and start collaborating with the necessary actors to go from strategy to action.

Nordic Circular Summit 2021

LOOP Lab Kids is a Nordic Circular Summit 2021 pre-session. The Nordic Circular Summit is a four-day digital summit exploring circular economy in the Nordic region. It is co-hosted and produced by Nordic Circular Hotspot and Nordic Innovation, and is an official World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) Side Event.

Learn more and sign up at nordiccircularsummit.com.

Check out other events & case stories

Circular Roundtable Series: Norwegian Construction

Circular Roundtable Series: Norwegian Construction

Waste & Circular Opportunities in Construction - How Construction Companies can profit from Circular Economy

 

Construction in Norway is the most waste-heavy sector, accounting for a hefty percentage of the waste in 2019 (Statistics Norway, 2021). In the last 10 years, 27% of Norwegian companies that went bankrupt were within construction.

To keep up with growth, construction companies need to insure themselves against a disruption in the supply chain. This roundtable will discuss how companies can collaborate with startups to find ideas and solutions to plan today for an alternative supply of tomorrow.

Where: Online
When: 22 Sep, 21 11:00 – 13:00
Venue: Online
Cost: Free
 

WHAT IS CIRCULARITY IN CONSTRUCTION?

Circular construction is the economic model that aims to use materials for as long as possible and reduce waste — via reuse and recycling. Savvy construction companies are finding it very appealing because it:

  • shrinks their environmental footprint
  • trims operational waste
  • uses expensive resources more efficiently.

WHY DO WE NEED IT?

McKinsey Group has estimated that there is the potential of 1.8 trillion euros of new profits from circularity in the EU space, with 34% going to construction.

Additionally, the Norwegian Government has stepped in and put forward in June 2021 a circular strategy that will gradually transform incentives to legislation – making circularity mandatory.

 

What you'll learn

IMPLEMENTING CIRCULARITY

Explore the alternative & additional functions of a building beyond living or working use

 

NEW BUSINESS MODELS

Find out how circular economy can lead to new business models with expected growth of 30%

 

NEW MATERIALS

Hear how new materials are one possible solution to circularity in the construction industry

DESIGN FOR DECONSTRUCTION

Listen to different views on how to design for the reuse of building materials and marketplace

RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Learn how to build resilience against the environmental consequences of climate change

 

SOLUTIONS

Hear about the exciting solutions that are being developed in the construction space

Agenda

Join us to hear from corporates and startups that are working on the issue of circularity within the construction industry. 

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

A short welcome and introductions from Startup Norway and Loop. Followed by introductions of our panelists from the corporate and startup world.

11:00 – 11:20 – Online

PANEL DISCUSSION

In this round table, corporates and startups will come to the same table to discuss the opportunities and threats for the Construction industry in Norway. Topics to be discussed include solutions and how to implement them, as well as the benefits startups offer corporates and how to succeed in those partnerships.

11:20 – 12:20 – Online

SOLUTIONS, CONCLUSIONS, AND NEXT STEPS

The panelists will wrap up their thoughts on the future of circularity in the construction industry. With the big question being, what is next?

12:20 – 13:00 – Online

Contact person

 

Verineia Codrean

Head of Sustainability
 

Check out other events & case stories