Koinpack

Targeting single-use plastic at the source: technology-driven reusable and returnable packaging

Koinpack is the first returnable and reusable packaging system based on a deposit and reward model in Indonesia that provides everyday essentials without packaging waste. Koinpack demonstrates inclusivity in its efforts to address plastic pollution and mitigate its impact by offering its services through partnerships with local, micro-entrepreneur points of sale (PoS) such as women-led waste bank communities, warung stores, and peer-to-peer sellers.

In turn, this allows consumers access to a wide array of household, personal care, and food products in reusable packaging. The packaging is made with durable PET, PP, or HDPE designed to be returned, cleaned, and sold repeatedly. Consumers can purchase their favourite products and return the empty packaging at these PoS, and receive a discount or cashback on the next purchase.

Koinpack’s initiative demonstrates technological and social innovation:

• Technological: The Packaging-as-a-Service business model that supplies reusable packaging to the FMCG industry in Indonesia demonstrates technological innovation through its tracking system to determine the lifecycle of the packaging. The QR code system introduced in this model enables FMCGs to track and calculate customers’ lifecycle and return rates of reusable packaging.
• Social: Koinpack’s main beneficiaries are middle-to-low-income customers, with the primary focus being low-income households. Further, PoS is mostly women-led waste banks and warung stores that are economically empowered and see an increase in their earnings by 10–15% per month. In addition, customers can purchase packaging products 5–10% cheaper than the disposable packaging that is more widely offered. Finally, the PoS provides drop-off points that make community-based recycling channels more accessible at the local level, increasing the adoption rate of this solution across other neighbourhoods.