Ecogots and the Road to Reuse project
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Ecogots takes another step towards a more sustainable change in our consumption habits. This time, by promoting the Road to Reusea national initiative that aims to promote sustainability in the restaurant industry through the implementation of returnable packaging in the main establishments for travelers.
This initiative, formed by a consortium made up of Ecogots, Bumerang, inèdit, Areas, AEI Clúster Envase y Embalaje de la Comunidad Valenciana and AEi Clúster Foodservice, was born from the need to seek new formulas for sustainability in the catering sector. A fact fostered by the rising cost of raw materials, the consequences of climate change and the entry into force of new laws at national and international level.
In addition, the Foodservice sector is characterized by the consumption of a large number of packaging and materials for the storage and transport of food and beverages, a reality that has forced the sector to produce much more sustainable packaging and to prioritize the reuse of resources over recycling.
Thanks to Road to Reuse (ROR), a Deposit, Return and Refund (DRR) system is being implemented in the main catering establishments in passenger environments, a procedure that began last December 19 with a pilot test.
The project, in which inèdit has led the validation and user experience part to ensure CO2 reduction and increase return rates, uses the Bumerang platform to offer Ecogots returnable packaging to customers. Thanks to the Bumerang app, it is possible to scan the QR codes on the containers and thus monitor their location, condition and maintenance.
At Ecogots we are in charge of three important phases of this project:
- The contribution of a sustainable and environmentally friendly material such as rice husk biomass, from which we obtain a resistant glass.
- Manufacturing. Ecogots has the capacity to manufacture a wide range of sustainable packaging, according to the needs of the Foodservice sector.
- Customization. Thanks to our ability to customize the size, color or image of the packaging, this initiative can be carried out in different establishments, always respecting the corporate identity of each brand.
Through the eco-design provided by Ecogots, Road to Reuse will be implemented in three Spanish Areas stores, one located in the Barcelona-Sants station in Catalonia and two in the also busy Madrid-Puerta de Atocha station.
30% of the salads sold in these three stores will be offered in Ecogots reusable packaging, significantly reducing plastic waste equivalent to more than 44,000 units of salads/year and saving up to 1,000 kg of plastic in twelve months.
Through the Road to Reuse project and the Deposit, Return and Refund system SDDR, it will be possible to work constantly with the same Ecogots containers, allowing them to be cleaned and reused as many times as necessary.
This initiative, born within the second call for AEIs of 2022 in the framework of the Next Generation grants and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, is scheduled to end in April 2023.
