UNYEFGlobal Impact InitiativeEffortless returns
Returning a container is as easy as buying one.
Circular cities · Urban pilot
A return system built around convenience.
A deposit-backed reusable container network for local merchants, pairing simple incentives with clear operations and transparent return data.
- Initiator
- Amina Rahman
- Location
- Urban pilot
- Focus
- Climate and partnerships
- Status
- Pilot
The challenge
Circular Packaging Pilot
Single-use packaging is convenient by design. Reuse schemes fail when returning a container takes more effort than throwing it away, or when merchants are left to handle washing and tracking on their own.
Our approach
Make it work. Then make it last.
- Simple deposits. Customers pay a small deposit per container and get it back on return.
- Merchant workflow. Merchants scan returns while cleaning partners handle sterilization.
- Quality control. Operations focus on loss rate, wash throughput and breakage.
What success means
Outcomes over features.
Clear economics
Merchants see the true cost per reuse cycle.
What we measure
Return rateCost per reuse cycleMerchant retentionContainer loss rate
