Sustainable ecommerce service Loop launches in France

Loop, a shopping service with reusable packages, has launched in France. The whole idea behind this startup is that containers are designed to be reused. Major manufacturers, such as Unilever, Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo have already partnered with Loop.

Look is a ambitious project from global recycling giant TerraCycle. It wants to sell products in multi-use containers. So, whether someone orders orange juice, mayonnaise or toothbrushes through Loop, all products are reusable. The idea of packaging that can be returned and refilled again changes the ownership model of packaging from consumer to producer.

Partnership with major manufacturers

For this to work, Loop partnered with major manufacturers Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Clorox, Nestlé, Mars, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo, who all redesigned their packaging to participate in the sustainable ecommerce project.

First launched in France, the UK will follow in October

The initiative launched in Paris this Thursday and it will launch in some cities in the US next week. And then the next stop, somewhere in October, would be London. In France, supermarket chain Carrefour is Loop’s main and currently exclusive distribution partner, EcommerceMag.fr writes. In the United Kingdom, Tesco will play a similar role.

How Loop works

Via Maboutiqueloop.fr, consumers can order all kinds of products: from Häagen-Dasz ice cream to Milka biscuits and from toothpaste to Coca-Cola. Consumers get the products, packed in glass, steel and other containers made of sustainable materials, delivered directly to their homes.

Package returns and gets cleaned

They pay a small deposit for these reusable packages. When a container is empty, customers can have it picked up or bring it to a retailer. They can then choose to have the product replenished. If they don’t, their deposit is returned or credited to their account. The empty bottles and glasses are sent to Loop where they are washed and refilled.