ARA and Müller launch "Circularity Heroes" across Austria : Reusable packaging pilot increases sales
Consumers want more circularity in the products they buy. This is the result of a pilot project carried out by Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA) and retail company Müller in Vienna.
In August last year, the two companies launched a project to highlight products with particularly recyclable packaging directly at the point of sale. This low-threshold measure created awareness of the valuable resources that remain in the cycle - leading to an increase in sales of up to 120%*. According to a local survey**, two-thirds of customers said they would continue to buy Circularity Heroes products in the future. Due to the high level of acceptance, Circularity Heroes will now be rolled out to other Müller stores in Austria.
During the pilot phase, the Circularity Heroes impressively demonstrated the relevance of circular packaging for consumers and their purchasing decisions. There is a willingness to make an important contribution to saving resources at the point of purchase. We see it as our task to further raise awareness of the raw materials in packaging and to create the ideal conditions for this with strong partners. We are therefore delighted that we are now taking the next step with Müller and that the Circularity Heroes will soon be present in many of the retailer's branches throughout Austria. We also want to use the experience gained and involve other retailers in order to create a broad platform for sustainably designed packaging," says ARA CEO Harald Hauke.
Re-use, reduce, recycle
Circularity Heroes are existing products in the range that have proven to be particularly recyclable due to their packaging characteristics and can therefore bear this title. Placed on their own shelves directly at the point of sale, they are easy for customers to identify. The labels Re-Use (reduce waste with products such as refillable pump bottles), Reduce (use refillable packaging and conserve resources) and Recycle (keep raw materials in the cycle with packaging made from recycled plastic) underline the mission of the Circularity Heroes.
The Circularity Heroes make it particularly easy for our customers to make circular decisions. At Muller, more and more packaging and processes are being designed with circularity in mind. We are delighted that these efforts have been so well received by consumers. This is confirmed, among other things, by the high demand for the Circular Heroes, which increased by up to 120%* during the pilot phase in our store in Vienna's Mariahilfer Strasse,' says Sascha Zahner, head of purchasing for toys, stationery, sustainability and processes at Müller.
Two-thirds would also opt for Circularity Heroes in the future
During the pilot phase in August 2024, the Circularity Heroes were accompanied by a social science field study conducted by the GfK Institute**. Customers were interviewed on-site about their understanding of the circular economy, packaging and green marketing. The results show that 8 out of 10 participants consider the information on the Circularity Heroes to be relevant.
Two-thirds said they would buy Circularity Heroes products in the future. With projects like Circularity Heroes, we are taking important steps to raise awareness of the circular economy in consumers' everyday lives and bring sustainability communication directly to the point of sale. This is urgently needed if we are to achieve the plastic packaging recycling rate we need to almost double by 2025. Every single piece of packaging and its key raw materials matter," Hauke says.
* Compared to the previous 12 working days with comparable product placement, without campaign branding.
** Survey period: 8 to 14 August 2024; people aged 16 and over who visited the personal care department of the Müller shop on Mariahilfer Straße in Vienna.
