Loop - The Future of Zero Waste Shopping

By Billy Howitt
October 2020

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How can you shop more sustainably in 2020 and transition to a zero-waste future? The answer - Loop.

Zero-Waste Shopping & The Circular Economy

Launched in 2019 at the World Economic Forum (held in Davos, Switzerland), Loop is a zero waste shopping platform that provides a number of everyday leading brand products such as tomato ketchup, washing liquid, toothpaste, as well as others, in reusable refillable packaging. A number of Fast Consumer Moving Good Companies support Loop, including Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Nestle and Unilever. 

Part of the TerraCycle cooperative, Loop supports the return of the ‘milkman model’ (the concept of the consumer buying milk but the company owns the bottle and then the empty bottle is collected, cleaned and reused) to help save the environment.

Loop adheres to the concept of the circular economy (a non-linear economic model promoting the move away from the cycle of make, use and dispose model to a cycle of re-use, recycle, restore and regenerate model). This systematic model is integral to reducing resource pressure on the environment, improving the security of raw materials, increasing competition, stimulating innovation, boosting economic growth as well as creating jobs. 

‘Removing plastics from the ocean is not enough. We need to get at the whole idea of disposability and single use items’ (Tom Szarky, CEO of TerraCycle) 

Loop in the UK

Loop has partnered with Tesco in the UK to deliver durable and reusable everyday products in a reusable tote bag. The trial for Loop launched in July 2020 and where demand is high will be where the first Tesco stores will stock these reusable products. Currently, consumers order via the Loop Tesco website where there are several different product lines available. Refundable deposits are then placed on top of the product price which ranges from 20p to £5. Once the products have been used they can then be collected from their homes or dropped off to over 2500 DPD collection points. The containers are cleaned and reused.  

Loop presents a sustainable way to buy your everyday products and help to positively contribute to a circular economy which is important for many aforementioned benefits above. It is likely that as time goes on more and more products will move towards this model. 

For more information, click here.