The way we consume is changing. Whether for environmental reasons, new European rules or simply by greater individual consciousness, old habits are being concerned. Among the sectors where this is the most noticed is food, with solutions that challenge the conventional model of purchase and discard. One of these solutions comes from a Spanish supermarket chain and may well inspire the future.
The new system returns is already on the way
The initiative is named Voltaa and is already in the testing phase in the 57 Bonàrea Supermarkets, a chain based in Guison, in the Spanish region of Léida. This new model allows customers to return the empty meat trays in stores and, in return, receive a cash value, according to News Labor.
With an expected investment of over 10 million euros, the project aims to encourage reuse and reuse practices in the food sector. The intention is clear: to make the consumer cycle more efficient and reduce waste, directly involving the consumer.
Started with the chicken
In this pilot phase, the system is being applied to chicken fillet packaging. When purchasing this product, the customer pays 0.45 euros as a watershed by the packaging. According to the same source, when returning the tray, it receives this value back, another small incentive, totaling 0.50 euros.
According to Bonàrea, this approach helps lower the price per kilo of meat, as consumers stop paying the cost of disposable packaging, which is necessarily included in the final price for legal imposition.
A packaging adapted to reuse
To ensure the proper functioning of the system, Bonàrea has created a specific packaging. This includes a protective film that avoids direct contact between food and tray, thus facilitating its return in good condition.
Once the movie is removed, the tray remains practically clean, allowing it to be returned without home washing.
This detail was designed to make the process simpler and more hygienic for users, promoting greater adhesion to the program, refers to the same source.
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Screening and reuse in the center of Guison
Once collected at stores, the trays are sent to the Guison Food Production Center. There, they undergo a screening and sanitation process before they are used again on packing lines and distributed again.
This closed circuit logistics is one of the project’s added value as it ensures the traceability and food security of all reused packaging, according to the same source.
Supermarkets also adhere to the circular model
This movement follows a growing trend in Europe, already visible in the restoration sector, where disposable packaging is being gradually replaced by reusable alternatives. Now, supermarkets also begin to adopt solutions that aim to reduce the environmental impact.
Bonàrea thus takes a relevant step in adapting to new legal and environmental requirements, anticipating other food flap chains.
A new way of involving the consumer
For Bonàrea, the system represents more than a logistics change: it translates a new way of consuming. “With the return we want to contribute to more conscious and sustainable consumption,” said Daniel Marsol, director of communication and marketing of the company, quoted by.
The same responsible stresses that “for this change to materialize, the active involvement of consumers is essential”, considering them central part in the success of the model.
A following model?
Although it is still in the test phase, the return may become a model replicated by other companies in the food sector. If the public reception is positive, the system may be extended to other products and influence similar practices in other European countries, the above source states.
As a curiosity, it is worth mentioning that similar systems are already implemented in countries such as Germany, Denmark and Switzerland, especially in the beverage sector, where the return of deposit packaging has been common practice for decades. Although there is no clear indications of its introduction in Portugal, it may soon be implemented if it proves to be functional.
In Spain, Voltaa is one of the first examples in the fresh meat sector, and can make way to new initiatives focused on reuse, instead of the immediate disposal of packaging.
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