Return Refill Repeat - a whole-system approach to reuse/refill and packaging as a service

A single-use plastic shampoo bottle is turned into a smart, trackable container that customers lease, refill, and return instead of throwing away. The Return•Refill•Repeat (RRR) project tackles the complex barriers that prevent fast-moving consumer goods from shifting from disposable packaging to a circular reuse system. Most recycling efforts still produce waste; RRR aims to eliminate single-use plastic entirely by redesigning the entire system—bottles, supply chains, retail refill stations, washing facilities, and consumer apps—as an integrated service rather than a product. The UK Demonstrator will test seven components: smart bottles with leasing, asset tracking, a wide product range, advanced refill stations, prefilled reusable packaging, return points, local bottle washing, and a consumer app. Partnering with RBC Group and City To Sea, the project measures behaviour change among consumers, retailers, and brands. If successful, this whole-system approach could reshape how everyday household products are packaged, delivered, and used—reducing plastic waste at scale without relying on individual consumer guilt or fragmented recycling infrastructure.