The RELOOPED Living Lab at Kvickly Rønne tested how supermarkets can reduce single-use packaging through a packaging-free and refill shopping concept called Løsmarked. From September 2025 to February 2026, customers could purchase 26 different dry food products from dispensers using reusable containers, their own containers, or paper bags instead of conventional disposable packaging. The pilot explored customer behaviour, reuse rates, communication methods, operational barriers, and commercial potential in a real supermarket environment. The Living Lab combined practical retail testing with behavioural insights and circular economy principles to support future refill and reuse systems in retail.

REDUCE & REUSE – packaging-free and refill retail

• What it is:

A Living Lab and in-store refill area integrated into an existing supermarket. The concept offered 26 dry food products through gravity dispensers, including nuts, legumes, müsli, rice, pasta, grains, and snacks. Around 70% of the assortment was organic. Refillable reusable containers were also introduced as part of the system.

• How it works:

Customers initially had to purchase and reuse dedicated reusable plastic containers (“condibøtter”) available in the store or use free single-use plastic bags provided on-site. During later iterations of the Living Lab, customers were allowed to bring their own clean food containers from home, weigh them in-store before filling, and reuse them for shopping. Products were dispensed through gravity dispensers and weighed before checkout.

The Living Lab was placed in the entrance area of the supermarket, exposing all customers to the concept. Suppliers handled product deliveries and dispenser refilling, while the store managed cleaning and price adjustments. The pilot also included communication campaigns, signage, and temporary price campaigns to test customer response and behavioural change

• Purpose:

To test whether packaging-free and reusable shopping systems can function inside a conventional supermarket, while reducing single-use packaging and generating practical knowledge about customer behaviour, communication, hygiene, logistics, pricing, infrastructure readiness, and implementation within existing food safety and retail regulations.

The Living Lab also explored customer acceptance of refill systems and identified barriers and opportunities relevant for retailers, municipalities, and policymakers working with circular retail solutions.

Target group for this tool:

• Supermarkets and grocery retailers
• Store managers and retail innovation teams
• Circular economy practitioners
• Municipalities and waste prevention organisations
• Researchers and students working with sustainable consumption
• Retailers interested in refill, reuse, and packaging prevention systems

Technical and operational insights

• The system included 26 dry food products distributed through dispensers.
• The Living Lab operated from September 2025 until February 2026.
• Around 70% of products were organic.
• The reuse system evolved during the pilot period as part of iterative testing and customer feedback.
• Initially, customers could only use store-provided reusable plastic containers or free single-use bags. Later, the system was expanded to allow customers to bring their own containers from home.
• Hygiene procedures and cleaning routines were required for daily operation.
• The project tested customer communication, signage, recipes, social media outreach, and price campaigns.
• A temporary 30% discount campaign increased sales approximately fivefold during the campaign period.

Behavioural insights

• Many customers reacted positively to the concept and appreciated the environmental ambition.
• Reuse behaviour improved significantly during the project period.
• The reuse ratio increased from approximately 46% in the first month to around 80–85% in the final phase.
• About half of customers who used the system once returned and used it again.
• 70% of customers using the system were over 55 years old.
• Customers expected refill products to be cheaper than packaged alternatives.
• Premium products such as nuts performed better than basic staples like sugar, pasta, and oats

Important findings

• Only 0.2% of all receipts included products from the refill area, showing that refill shopping had not yet become part of customers’ normal shopping routines.
• Despite lower overall sales, some refill products outperformed equivalent packaged products in-store, including almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, and buckwheat.
• Customers valued sustainability, but convenience, price perception, and communication strongly influenced participation.
• The project demonstrated both the potential and complexity of implementing packaging-free systems in mainstream retail environments.

Links:

Genbrugsemballage og løsmarked test på Bornholm