Four Nordic firms have teamed up to create a groundbreaking reusable and refillable consumer packaging system, paired with a circular order/return service aimed at reducing single-use plastic waste. The initiative, named På(fyll) – which translates to "pour fill" – was officially unveiled by Swedish design firm Form Us With Love (FUWL) in early September at Stockholm Design Week.
The project is a joint effort between FUWL and three Norwegian partners: Orkla ASA, a conglomerate of consumer brands; Æra, a strategic innovation consultancy; and Bakken & Bæck AS. Recently, På(fyll) was recognized as a finalist in Fast Company magazine's 2023 Innovation by Design Awards.
På(fyll) operates as an app-based subscription service for Orkla’s household products, featuring utilitarian, minimally branded plastic containers that can be stacked and refilled multiple times. Users purchase products online, and once a product is exhausted, they scan a QR code on the container, place the empty containers outside their residence, and wait for a refill delivery.
Karin Blomberg, design manager at FUWL, explained that the concept is currently undergoing trial in the Swedish market. The containers are made from HDPE, with plans to transition to recycled HDPE from used containers in the future, creating a closed-loop system.
FUWL, an international design studio founded in 2005, conducted extensive market research over two years, including collaboration with IKEA, to determine the optimal size and shape for the containers. The design accommodates various nozzles for dispensing liquids and powders of different viscosities. While initially holding only Orkla products, the containers may eventually be used for products from other companies.
The design process revealed key differences between traditional fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) packaging and containers for a circular order/return service. Traditional packaging prioritizes volume, weight, and shelf appeal, whereas På(fyll) containers focus on functionality and usability. They are designed to be easy to ship, grip, store, pour, and clean.
FUWL emphasized that European Union produces around 26 million tons of plastic waste annually, with 70% ending up in landfills, equivalent to one garbage truck's worth of plastic waste being dumped into the ocean every minute. På(fyll) aims to challenge this norm and promote sustainability by reducing plastic waste in the supply chain through a digital platform and circular subscription model.
The project also required a sophisticated digital platform for seamless logistics, including address lookup, pickup and drop-off scheduling, shipment tracking, and smart order bundling to reduce delivery costs. Partnering with transport provider Heltjem, På(fyll) ensures transparency and accountability through a QR code tracking system, from warehouse to delivery.
In early 2022, the partners launched a beta version of På(fyll) involving 100 households in Norway, with plans to expand to a broader market. FUWL credits the success of På(fyll) to the collaboration of experts in market understanding, branding, industrial design, strategy, and engineering, resulting in a sustainable, user-friendly solution to the plastic waste problem.
