Projects - Packaging
Meet our clients
Superunie
With >30,000 product packaging in stores all across the Netherlands, Superunie is well aware of the need for sustainability. More and more customers ask for sustainable packaging. Moreover, government regulations are getting stricter. Searious Business helped Superunie to develop a practical and future-proof packaging strategy, and helps to implement that change. The focus is on change with the biggest impact, working according to the latest technologies & insights in the realm of plastics.
“Searious Business has had a vital impact on getting Superunie to move on sustainable packaging, helping to get everyone on board and make the right choices.”
Cindy Verhoeven, Manager of sustainable sourcing at Superunie
Aldi Süd
ALDI Süd has made strong, sustainable packaging commitments, focused on using less plastic, making packaging recyclable & using recycled content.
To help deliver these commitments, we identified specific improvement steps for Aldi Süd. We combined the newest insights in available materials with in-depth knowledge of circular business models and effective recyclability. Conclusions were based on a Life Cycle Analysis and Cost-Benefit Analysis to determine the best fit.
“Searious Business has been invaluable in accelerating our sustainable packaging ambitions. Their insights and expertise in the newest packaging innovations have helped us determine the right way forward. Further, their hands-on approach gave us the needed support to start implementation!”
Jaclyn Bukas, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Aldi
Nestlé
Nestlé has set itself ambitious sustainable packaging targets. The reduction of plastic waste is an urgent priority to them. That is why Searious Business determined the right reusable packaging strategy for specific commodities in the future.
Mondelez
Mondelez has set itself ambitious sustainable packaging targets. They are committed to creating a circular economy where packaging material is reduced, recycled or reused. That is why Searious Business gave an overview of pros and cons of moving into reusable packaging within the snacking business. We gave strategic advice that recognizes the packaging, supply chain and consumer challenges of this on-the-go sector.
Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder is committed to achieving 100% sustainable packaging by 2025, focusing on recyclable, reusable, recycled, or recoverable materials. Searious Business supported Estée Lauder by conducting a business case study to determine the viability of refill systems, providing strategic advice on financial and environmental impacts. Our work included a market scope of refill systems in beauty and personal care, and a line-up of potential partners.
Vrumona
Vrumona is one of the largest producers of soft drinks, water and juices in The Netherlands. When preparing and packaging soft drinks, Vrumona focuses continuously on the efficient use of ingredients, packaging materials, water and energy consumption. Searious Business helped Vrumona to define its sustainability strategy and elaborate on disruptive innovations for the future.
“Searious Business helped us sharpen our ambitions in sustainable packaging and challenged us to better define our targets and end goal.”
Martine Kruiswijk, Sustainable Packaging Specialist
Jumbo
Searious Business developed a decision tree and a tailor-made materials matrix, to use as a starting point for coffee cups and similar on-the-go applications. It guides decision makers in making the right choice in reusable and recyclable solutions for the current single-use cups including material choice and specific (return) delivery options.
Barilla
Italian food company Barilla asked Searious Business to realize ambitions in sustainable use of materials. Searious Business carried out material scouting to replace current single-use plastics.
“A great piece of work
that gave us the insights we were looking for!”
Barilla
Danone
Danone has a broad range of packaging formats and a strong drive to make its packaging more sustainable. Searious Business helped Danone to define its global sustainability strategy in packaging and elaborate on disruptive innovations for the future.
Unilever
Unilever has made strong sustainable packaging commitments, focused on Less plastic, Better plastic, No plastic.
To help deliver these commitments we have helped Unilever to determine the best sustainable alternatives in food packaging. We combined the newest insights in available materials with in-depth knowledge of effective recyclability. Conclusions were based on a Life Cycle Analysis and Cost-Benefit Analysis, to determine the best fit.
“Searious Business helped us tremendously in determining the best options and providing new insights into the sustainable packaging arena. Highly recommended for who wants to push their sustainability targets forward!”
Peeze
Peeze is a coffee roaster with big ambitions. Coffee should not only taste good but should also be good for the world we live in. They think a reusable packaging system will be genuinely better for the environment.
To determine the most sustainable reusable option for Peeze, Searious Business researched innovative packaging materials, formats and ideal business case for whole coffee beans. By performing a comprehensive Life Cycle Analysis and cost-benefit analysis, we identified the most suitable reuse options. Peeze is now ready to implement a reusable packaging model.
“Thanks to Searious Business's conclusions, we can make a positive impact by selling the tastiest coffee in the most sustainable packaging available.”
Peijnenburg
As Peijnenburg has set their company target at 100% recyclability by 2025, Peijnenburg asked Searious Business to suggest sustainable packaging materials. After jointly agreeing about key performance indicators, we analyzed potential materials based on a cost-benefit analysis and SB’s sustainable packaging LCA tool. Searious Business is currently in the process of conducting in-depth market analysis, and engages relevant value chain partners for the 2nd best scoring materials, which Peijnenburg will be testing & piloting over the next couple of months.
de Bijenkorf
De Bijenkorf is on a mission to become the most creative, inspiring and sustainable department store where everyone can feel special. As a large player, De Bijenkorf can make a significant impact with the materials they use in their (online) stores and behind the scenes. Searious Business was asked to advise on the sustainability of plastics and other packaging materials, as part of the company’s sustainability strategy.
Searious Business provided De Bijenkorf with insight into trending materials such as bio-based and biodegradable materials, plastic certification, existing and upcoming plastic legislation, and materials comparison and Life Cycle Assessment.
“Due to the extensive background information and the specialised advice provided by Searious Business, our purchasing teams can easily determine sustainable materials for our packaging and know what we can reasonably ask from suppliers.”
Weber Beamix
With increasing volumes of plastic packaging in its cement business, Weber Beamix turned to Searious Business for help to lower its Plastic Footprint. Searious Business helped Weber Beamix and its suppliers to incorporate a substantial amount of recycled plastics in its packaging, and managed to put this on the agenda, for further future improvements. This has already led to 200 tons of avoided waste in 2017.
“With Searious Business, we managed to get the right technical advice, network and mindset-change to move towards more sustainable packaging.”
Bas Huysmans, managing director at Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix
Moonen Packaging
Supporting transition towards 100% recyclable and renewable packaging by 2030. Setting up roadmap, including guidance on targets and sustainable alternatives with related costs and CO2-savings. Our approach includes set-up of monitoring & evaluation, a tailored product data management system and clear assessment of environmental gains. Focus is on engagement with key accounts to future-proof the packaging-portfolio.
"At Moonen Packaging we strive for customers satisfaction with love for the environment. Searious Business helped us to think even bigger, providing suggestions on sustainable alternatives and tips to measure the impact of our activities."
Vodafone Ziggo
Vodafone-Ziggo has the ambitious goal to halve its co2 footprint before 2025. Vodafone-Ziggo asked Searious Business to draw up stringent guidelines for the use of plastic and other materials. We developed easy-to-understand policies on plastic use for catering and events, taking current and upcoming legislation into account. We provided user-friendly decision-making tools (traffic lights and a decision tree) for materials used in transport packaging.
“Searious Business helped our teams with these easy-to-understand guidelines making it accessible for every employee to make sustainable decisions in the future.”
Provincie Noord-Brabant
For the Provincie Noord-Brabant we analyzed plastics used in the agriculture sector (potatoes, fruit and vegetables) and identified problem areas. Considering trends, developments and the latest legislation, we recommended a top 10 of the most relevant innovations with a clear role for the Provincie Noord-Brabant in making plastic packaging and plastic more sustainable within the agriculture sector.
"Searious Business has carried out its assignment beyond expectations, it has yielded great insights and has given us clear guidance on how we can influence the circularity and sustainability of plastic use in Noord-Brabant in the most effective way."
Marloes van Sebille, Provincie Noord-Brabant
Tramontina
Global houseware brand Tramontina has strong sustainability ambitions. Searious Business worked with Tramontina to define a strategy in packaging and plastic use. Armed with dynamic decision-making tools, Tramontina is now able to move forward with its sustainable products and packaging.
“In addition to our long history of eco-friendly practices, Tramontina continues to challenge itself to not only innovate but also lead our business to a more sustainable future. Simultaneously, we also have the vision to develop new projects based on circular economy practices. In keeping with our ongoing commitment to sustainable business practices, we are working on solutions alongside environmental consulting firm Searious Business and Voice of the Oceans to reduce single-use plastic in our packaging”
Marcelo Borges, CEO of Tramontina USA
Borealis
Borealis is a genuine frontrunner in revolutionising plastic production for a sustainable future, minimizing the impact of plastic on the planet through circularity. Searious Business has been working with them on developing circular economy solutions for secondary packaging.
Crisp
Online supermarket Crisp wants to be a positive force - for their customers and the environment. Their commitment to sustainability is evident along the entire value chain, from supporting local growers to solar-powered logistics. Searious Business helped them to refine their sustainable packaging strategy, giving specific recommendations to avoid single-use and virgin plastics, evaluate reusable options and encourage closed-loop recycling. Using tailored tools such as traffic lights and decision trees, their purchasing and marketing departments can make fully-informed packaging choices in the future.
Verkade
We helped Verkade to optimise their packaging for sustainability and marketing. Building on their concept, we developed an innovative design which reduces the amount of materials and adhesives used, and identified the best materials using our extensive materials data-base supported by an LCA. The outcome will soon be admired on supermarket shelves. Contact us if you also want recommendations on sustainable packaging design.
Marjane
As part of our MOSSUP project, we developed a deposit return scheme for reusable food containers at the delicatessen counters in Marjane supermarkets. We orchestrated a successful pilot to introduce reusable primary wet food packaging at supermarket scale, including tracking, cleaning, logistics and training. The pilot proved successful at changing the behavioural patterns of customers to change and creating a mindset shift in supermarket staff and management. The project will enter the scaling-up phase in 2022.
"We are very happy about the MOSSUP project in our two pilot stores and see it as our responsibility to protect the environment where we can. The MOSSUP project gives Marjane a great opportunity to do so".
Mr Azami, CEO Marjane Morocco
Buddie Pack
Searious Business is providing our expertise in reuse to BUDDIE Pack, a research project from the Horizon Europe Framework Program, which will run from 2021 until 2027, with a total EU Commission budget of €95.5 billion. Together with 19 other renowned institutions, Searious Business is advising business-driven systemic solutions for reusable packaging schemes for use on the mass market. The 3.5-year BUDDIE Pack research project will develop actionable re-use business models for different plastic packaging applications. Read the press release for more info.
Plastic Pact NL
The Plastic Pact Netherlands’ Reduce and Reuse working group' is aiming for a target of 20% plastic reduction by 2025. To meet this ambition, Searious Business is investigating the members' interest in Big Bag pooling. We will then pilot a scalable Big Bag pooling system, showing environmental and financial benefits and recommending critical success factors for scaling up. Read the report.
Carrefour
French supermarkets are required to devote 5% of the shop floor to refill systems. In preparation, Carrefour ran several pilots for potential systems. Searious Business was brought in as an independent third-party consultancy to audit these pilots and offer guidance towards improving a future systems approach.
Repeats
REPEATS are one of the leading post-commercial LDPE recyclers in Europe. Their mission is to make flexible film recycling in large volumes mainstream. Searious Business is providing technical advice and linking to relevant launching customers to enable closed-loop recycling of PE in Europe.
Zotefoams
Zotefoams has developed ReZorce, a revolutionary circular polymer designed for beverage cartons. Searious Business is providing technical advice and linking to launching customers to promote this novel material technology.
Citeo
CITEO are developing industry design standards for reusable packaging in France. Searious Business gave consultancy advice on suitable materials and designs for various closure systems.
Searious Business conducted a market assessment into the economic viability of reusable transport packaging for Large Household Appliances. We are now building an industry consortium to build a business case and pilot a reuse system in an industrial setting. See RePLHA for details.
Reusable Packaging Association
Monthly recap
Stay up to date with our projects and other developments in the circular economy