Nestlé Instand Coffee Refill Pouch, Dr. Bronner's Soap Refill Station, Meteor Brewery Small Bottle Refill Scheme

The trend towards refillable and reusable packaging is gaining momentum as more companies explore ways to reduce their use of single-use, hard-to-recycle packaging. This growth is partly driven by the goal of the Plastic Pact to deliver reusable packaging solutions by 2025. Many of these initiatives are coming from startup and smaller brands, but multinational companies are also beginning to test the waters with small-scale trials and pilots.

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Nestlé U.K. is launching refill pouches for two of its instant coffee products.ThePackHubNestlé Launches Refill Pouch Format for U.K.’s Best Selling Instant Coffee

Nestlé UK has announced the launch of a new refill pouch for two of its iconic coffee products. The new pouches will be available on Nescafé Gold Blend and Nescafé Original coffee. After use, the pouches can be recycled at recycling points in supermarkets. The new pouches will cost less than the current glass jars, and the pouch is 97% lighter than the 200g glass coffee option and has on average 60% less plastic than the jar’s lid. The pack is resealable to help preserve freshness, and once the refill is empty, consumers can recycle the pack in more than 5,000 stores across the U.K. and through curbside collection in Ireland. The new Nescafé Gold Blend refill pouch and Nescafé Original refill pouch are available now in all major retailers.

Dr. Bronners is introducing refill stations at Jimbo's Naturally grocery stores.ThePackHubSoap Manufacturer Dr. Bronner's Looks to Instore Refill Stations for its Products

San Diego, California-based company Dr. Bronner’s is working to ratchet back its reliance on the materials used to pack its products. It has now unveiled plastic-free soap refill stations for retailers. In December, at a Jimbo’s Naturally grocery store, Dr. Bronner’s erected a colorful “Bulk Refill Station” pilot where consumers could fill their own containers. For now, bulk refills cost just $1 less than the on-shelf bottles. If shoppers forget to bring their own bottles, Dr. Bronner’s offers rainbow-emblazoned bottles for $1, but the goal is to dramatically mitigate single-use packaging through bottle reuse. Jimbo’s anticipates incorporating Dr. Bronner’s-branded refill stations in its four stores this year. Dr. Bronner’s will debut this new bulk refill program at Natural Products Expo West. The company will collect information from retailers interested in installing refill stations and from distributors who might want to partner with the company.

Meteor Brewery is launching a range of specialty beers in reusable 33cl bottles.ThePackHubMeteor Brewery to Introduce Reusable Scheme in Smaller Bottles

Meteor Brewery, based in the Alsace region of France, is the oldest brewery in France, founded in 1640. The brewery plans to launch a range of specialty beers in reusable 33cl bottles. Beginning in April, the brewery plans to launch a new range of four specialty beers, an IPA, a cherry, a triple and a Christmas beer, all in returnable bottles. Although the 75 cl format dominates the market, Meteor has opted to offer them in 33 cl bottles, given regional consumption habits. Mass distribution will be limited to the Grand Est region. On the national level, these recipes will be available within the specialiZed brand V and B, which has more than 250 stores.

Learn more about ThePackHub's Innovation Zone here.