The reuse of packaging is by no means a new concept – in the German beverage industry, 44-45 percent of bottles are already reusable. Similar concepts are also in place in the food industry, such as the multiple use of boxes for transporting vegetables or bread. However, in other areas, particularly for cosmetics and drugstore items, the idea is still relatively new. In 2022, the Hamburg-based start-up Sea Me set out to close this gap and launched Zerooo, a reusable system for this industry. André Lang-Herfurt, Director of Marketing and Sales and co-founder of Zerooo, said in an interview in the FACHPACK TV studio: “Although there are established systems such as the dual system and recycling processes, the loss of resources remains immense”. According to Lang-Herfurt, the key question to be resolved is how to implement a genuine circular economy that drastically reduces packaging waste. He sees the solution here above all in reusable systems.
Zerooo's system started with reusable glass bottles used by brands such as Babor, Klaer Naturkosmetik, Sea Me and the Aveo brand of the Müller retail company. However, users are not unreservedly accepting glass in the bathroom, and the cosmetics industry has also placed a greater focus on plastic recycling in recent years due to the upcoming legal requirements.
More than two years ago, the Hamburg-based start-up, together with the Hamburg University of Technology and 10 renowned companies such as Sodasan Wasch- und Reinigungsmittel and Börlind, started the development process for the 300 ml Zerooo reusable PET bottle. Another development partner and supplier of the reusable bottle is Alpla, a global company for plastic packaging and recycling with many years of experience in the production of PET reusable bottles in the beverage context. In addition to the container, the partners have developed a portfolio of compatible labels and closures made of a single material. With national retail partners such as Budni, Edeka, Müller and Rewe, inbound and outbound processes have also been developed, thus preparing Zerooo for the launch of the first wave of brands in September 2024.
