Case study
Pioneering a circular economy
ReCo Refill (2020–2023)
ReCo Refill was a 3-year experiment we started during the pandemic. Its mission was to reimagine packaging for a cleaner world — one refill at a time.
The world has only recycled 9% of the plastics produced in the past 60 years. 6.3 trillion kilograms of plastic is still around, harming 100 million sea animals every year. We simply cannot recycle our way to the future.
We partnered with local, eco-friendly brands, packaged their products in reusable glass jars and delivered them to customers in Sydney. We then collected the empty jars, sanitised them at our local facility and got them ready for the next refill.
The ultimate goal was to create a beautiful and easy user experience that helped people to reuse, keeping everything in the loop and out of the environment.
Photographer: Jason de Plater.
Highlights
Achieved with
Only 2 Products
Delivered to
+500 residents in selected suburbs in Sydney
Waste impact
3,000+ plastic containers saved
Supported by
EY, Boomerang Labs, Social Impact Hub, City of Sydney
Presented to
Adobe, Lendlease, Aesop, AirBnb, Sustainability Victoria
Featured on
Front cover of Wentworth Courier, Broadsheet, Renew, Planet Ark
Digital work
Research & strategy
User research
Brand strategy
Website strategy
Social media strategy
Content strategy
Brand & website design
Brand voice & copywriting
Visual identity
Packaging design
Website design
Photography & videography
Social media design
EDM design
Web development
Webflow
Shopify 2.0
Performance optimisation
Exploration of Bubble and Glide for backend
Crafting a beautiful and accessible experience for the community
Simplicity was key in this project, enabling quick adaptation and change. Our strategy centred on presenting the brand's uniqueness in the simplest way, achieved through photography and a down-to-earth tone that resonated with our community and audience.
For our website, we used Webflow, a no-code platform, which gave us extensive control. Our e-commerce was custom built with highly efficient and clean code on Shopify 2.0. Web accessibility was well considered, and both components received high accessibility ratings on Google Lighthouse audit.
Photography
We work with our long-term collaborator, Jason de Plater, to tell the ReCo story through simplicity, elegance and authenticity.
“It’s wonderful to use a local Sydney business that in turn supports an ethical regional NSW business, a holistic service to eliminate plastic waste.”
Jess Scully
Author, curator, city-maker, Former Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney
White paper: business insights
For access to our business insights and case studies, please email us to purchase our white paper at hello@reco.net.au
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