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Refill Solutions to Tackle Plastic Waste

Our goal is to commercialize our dispensing technology, mobile pushcart and app to enable rapid scaling up of refill solutions to low-income customers across Jakarta in refillable containers.

By

Siklus Refill

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Social causes

Beneficiaries

SDGs covered

Market of Implementation

  • Indonesia

Problem

The project aims to solve the massive challenge of plastic waste. Indonesia is the second-biggest ocean plastic polluter in the world. Every 20 minutes, the equivalent of a 10-ton truckload of plastic is dumped into the waters around Indonesia. (World Bank, 2018). The most common items found on its beaches are plastic wrappers and sachets, tiny single-serving packages (Ocean Conservancy, 2017). Out of financial necessity, 70% of Indonesians buy their household goods in single-serving sachets rather than in bulk. As 15% of the sachet cost comes from packaging, low-income populations often pay extra for their everyday needs in small portions, a so-called "poverty tax.”
Plastic has a large carbon footprint, as its production requires petrochemicals and energy to manufacture. Once it is discarded, it has multiple negative impacts on the environment including the release of CO2 and harmful dioxins as it decomposes, acting as a threat to wildlife, entering our water and food systems, etc.

Solution

The refill stations are set up in local pushcarts and in mom-and-pop-stores (Warungs) providing sellers and Warung owners an additional source of income and allowing them to compete with mini markets and supermarkets that have been cannibalizing their business. Our sellers are able to earn an income that is above market, and our Warung partners are able to increase their customer base and sales through the new offering.

We offer a discount to our low-income customers who save 10 - 50% as compared to sachets. Low-income customers oftentimes pay a so-called “poverty tax” for everyday needs in small portions. We give them an alternative where they can pay a low per ml price, and still have the flexibility of buying in small portions, and the ability to dose with our reusable containers.

Our solution directly provides an alternative to the sales of FMCGs through sachets, thereby reducing the use of petrochemicals to make the packaging and the concurrent energy use. Given the significant use of petrochemicals to create plastic (1.8 billion metric tons per year as per a study by UC Santa Barbara) this represents a significant reduction of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Type of Carbon Reduced/Sequestered

CO2 (Carbon Dioxide)

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