“We uncovered a lot of insights in the differences between traditional fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) packaging and containers made for a circular order/return service,” Blomberg said. Traditional packaging involves a number of compromises in volume, weight, shelf appeal, etc. “This packaging needed to be easy to ship, easy to grip, easy to store, easy to pour, and easy to clean.”
While traditional containers may compete on aesthetics and brand features, the containers for På(fyll) must prioritize functionality and usability. Blomberg said that FUWL had to ensure the containers would function well with the existing infrastructure of filling sites, while also meeting the needs of users, transport companies, and the responsibility of Orkla, for cleaning and refilling the containers.
The problem, notes FUWL, is that the European Union produces some 26 million tons of plastic waste every year –– 70 percent of which is sent to landfill. This is equivalent to dumping at least one garbage truck’s worth of plastic waste into the ocean every minute of every day.
På(fyll), it says, “challenges the current norm of fast-moving consumer goods packaged in single-use containers and dispensers.”