Starting a sharing revolution with circular packaging
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This article is part of the 'Celebrating Circular` initiative and story collection that spotlights trailblazer Irish businesses making strides towards a more sustainable and low-carbon economy.
Despite the evident negative environmental impact, single-use coffee cups are still part of our daily lives.
Ireland is one of the most polluting countries in Europe, given that approximately 22,000 disposable cups are used every hour, which makes up about 200 million cups every year, creating 3,700 tonnes of waste, according to a Government of Ireland study published in 2020.
When Sarah Fliessbach moved to Ireland from Germany six years ago, she was surprised to see that disposable cups were the norm.
“It struck me that even events were dominated by single-use cups, and when COVID hit, this approach spread like wildfire since refill was not an option in order to stay aligned with health directives. It was crazy to see all those disposable cups and food packaging piling up,” Sarah recalls.
Finding an alternative to single-use plastic cups
She started to research options that could offer another viable solution with the potential to be scaled up in time.
At the beginning of the journey, Sarah talked with many businesses to determine whether there was an appetite for an alternative and how this could realistically work.
After gathering inputs, the idea of creating shareclub was born to offer circular packaging solutions for events, workplaces and takeaway services to minimise waste.
Receiving funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2023 as part of their Green Enterprise Innovation initiative provided a great opportunity to kickstart the business and further develop the idea.
“We designed a mobile application that allows users to scan a QR code on our cups to join the rental system and practically rent a cup for the duration of an event or elsewhere.
Using shareclub at events presents organisers with a very tangible outcome in terms of costs and savings as well as avoiding mountains of unnecessary waste.”
With this solution, they can cater all kinds of small and large events alongside coffee shops or canteens.
“Thanks to the app, we can precisely show partners their impact and savings, which they can use as reliable data in their impact report or communication.”
Shareclub now provides circular packaging solutions for events, workplaces and takeaway services to minimise waste by offering an easy-to-use rental service.
Inspiring return and meaningful sustainability efforts
Unlike other deposit schemes, Sarah would like to inspire people to return the cups, as she says this enhances overall sustainability.
“Our goal is to keep these items in circulation and use them many times. So far, we have reached a promising 98-99% return rate.”
To ensure the long-term usability of their products, they use high-quality plastic cups, which are practically unbreakable, dishwasher and microwave-safe, and can be remade into a new product at the end of their life.
The power of learning in building a circular enterprise
Building a circular enterprise tests Sarah and her team’s skills, and learning is part of their journey.
“I`m always curious to learn more, and sustainability is constantly evolving. It's great to have initiatives like the MODOS training where you can catch up and see what others are doing in this space. The little ideas and seeing the creativity of other businesses were truly inspirational.”
Learning about zero-waste business models and product development was especially interesting for Sarah.
“Looking at water usage was one of the aspects of the training that resonated with me since our cup cleaning process involves water usage through washing facilities. It made me explore this area further and ensure we take a circular approach, especially when we scale and have a bigger volume of cups.”
She mentions that discovering available supports as part of the MODOS course, such as the Local Enterprise Office offerings, was a great addition to the learning part.
Bridging the gap between intention and action
Introducing a circular business is a challenge, as Sarah shares that while the intention and interest are there, taking action and committing to adopting a new system is different.
“We need to be able to show how we can create value to bridge the gap between wanting to do this and actually doing it. At the moment, we focus on early adopters who already have the mindset, but scaling will require a lot of education.”
Although Sarah thinks that government policy and the CSRD are pushing businesses to think differently and actively seek opportunities to adopt sustainable practices.
Making a circular solution fun and appealing
One of their recent collaborations with the Dublin Coffee Festival proved that their concept works well and that people are more than happy to participate if you make it fun and convenient for them.
“We managed to avoid using single-use cups throughout the whole event. It worked without a glitch, which we are really proud of. We wanted to help people engage instead of making them uncomfortable.”
Their goal is to make shareclub accessible and hassle-free for partners and users and spark change to make the event industry circular step by step.
“We would like to become an influential player in transitioning Ireland to a more sustainable economy and make it the new norm at events to use our solutions.”
Once they establish shareclub in Ireland, Sarah would like to explore the potential of replicating the model in other countries. She believes that with the circular movement growing stronger, they could be there to provide a ready-to-use solution.
“Climate change is personal for me, and having two small children makes it very real as they already ask questions. I want to be able to say that I was part of the solution. I want to contribute and act now and find a way to make change happen.”
Explore other inspirational stories as part of the Celebrating Circular initiative supported by the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices and Dublin City Council.
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