The shift towards reusable packaging and products is gaining momentum as businesses and consumers seek alternatives to single-use packaging to reduce waste. 69% of people are likely to use products in returnable packaging if available where they shop. From reusable coffee cups to returnable takeaway containers, reuse systems offer a practical way to reduce environmental impact while keeping convenience at the forefront.
However, implementing a reuse system comes with challenges. Businesses need to track items, manage returns, and ensure customers engage with the system effectively. Without the right tools, these processes can be complex and time-consuming, limiting the scalability of reuse initiatives.
This is where the Flow Platform comes in. Designed to simplify and scale reuse systems, the Flow Platform provides businesses with the technology they need to track reusable items, automate processes, and engage users - all while making reuse effortless.
Whether you’re running a café, managing an event, or overseeing a large-scale reuse initiative, the Flow Platform makes the transition to reuse seamless and efficient.
What is a Reuse System?
A reuse system is a structured approach to keeping products in circulation instead of being disposed of after a single use. These systems are designed to help businesses and consumers track, return, and manage reusable items, such as cups, food containers, and packaging.
Common reuse systems include:
Deposit return schemes: Customers pay a small deposit when they take a reusable item and get it back upon return.
Membership-based models: Users sign up to borrow reusable items and return them without additional fees.
Tech-enabled tracking: QR codes or RFID tags allow businesses to monitor usage and returns, ensuring items stay in circulation.
While reuse systems sound simple in theory, they often face real-world challenges - businesses struggle with lost items, complex logistics, and low return rates. Consumers may forget to return items or find the process inconvenient. To make reuse successful, businesses need a solution that streamlines these processes, reduces friction, and encourages participation.
What is the Flow Platform?
The Flow Platform is a smart technology solution that provides data on environmental savings, such as plastic and carbon, as well as reuse performance and more. It helps businesses track, automate, and optimise their reuse programs, ensuring efficiency at every step.
Here’s how it works:
Seamless tracking: Each reusable item is assigned a unique identifier (QR code or RFID tag), allowing businesses to monitor usage, returns, and circulation.
Stock levels & reporting: Flow Platform shows stock levels and generates real-time data insights on item usage and return rates.
User-friendly experience: Customers can borrow the item, and return it at designated locations without hassle. With AppNostic, they can view the item's journey, impact and promotional content.
Customisable for different models: Whether a business runs a deposit scheme, a free-return system, or a rewards-based approach, Flow Platform can adapt to fit their needs.
With the Flow Platform, businesses no longer have to worry about the complexities of reuse. They can track their impact, view how their customers are engaging, and ensure their system runs smoothly.
How Industries Can Use the Flow Platform for Reuse Systems
The Flow Platform is scalable across different industries and businesses, making it easy for businesses of all sizes to integrate reuse systems into their operations. Here are a few industries the Flow Platform can work with:
Hospitality & Coffee Shops
Cafés and restaurants can use the Flow Platform to manage reusable cups and food containers. Customers scan the cup/container upon returning it, and the Flow Platform tracks when and where it’s returned.
If the establishment has multiple locations, they can view location-based data to establish how customers are interacting with the system, and the environmental savings of each location - allowing for improvements where needed. Customers do not need to return the reusable to the same location they bought the item from - for example, if they bought a coffee from the café next to their office, they can return their cup to the café by their gym.
Bonus: With the addition of AppNostic, hospitality and coffee shops can create a custom experience for their target audience to get them more involved in sustainability.
Events & Festivals
It is known that large festivals and events generate huge amounts of waste from disposable cups and packaging - especially in the Summer months as attendees try and stay cool. The Flow Platform helps event organisers implement a reusable system by tracking items across multiple return points within the event area, ensuring a smooth experience for attendees.
Festivals can also use data insights to measure the environmental impact of their reuse initiatives to further improve sustainability initiatives. If one area begins to run low on stock due to popularity, and another area isn't doing as well, using the Flow Platform managers can reallocate stock to update the stock levels and show the journey of the reusable.
Stadiums & Venues
Sports stadiums and concert venues serve thousands of people, making single-use waste a major issue. The Flow Platform enables venues to introduce reusable cup programs, allowing customers to return their cups at various collection points. The platform’s capabilities streamline the return process, ensuring efficient operations even at high volumes.
Some venues decide to use a deposit scheme to encourage their visitors to return the cup and get their money back, whereas others decide not to. Whichever you decide, our Flow Platform can track the data!
Read more on how and why stadiums should embrace sustainability here.
Workplaces & Universities
Corporate offices and universities can integrate the Flow Platform into their catering and food service programs, replacing single-use containers with reusable alternatives. With the Flow Platform, organisations can track return rates, measure participation, and encourage employees or students to engage in sustainable practices.
Organisations can utilise the Flow Platform to generate ESG reports, allowing them to communicate their environmental savings to stakeholders and implement necessary changes for improvements.
By providing tailored solutions for each industry, the Flow Platform makes reuse systems not only feasible but also highly scalable.
