The company På(fyll) was launched in 2023 with two clear objectives: to reduce Norwegians’ plastic consumption, while giving consumers the opportunity to cut their own consumption without having to make drastic changes to their everyday habits. By the end of 2024, users of På(fyll) had succeeded in saving the environment from more than two tonnes of plastic waste – equivalent to 50,157 single-use plastic bottles that would otherwise have ended up in the bin.
“The fantastic thing about På(fyll) is that every single order removes the need for single-use plastic. We have a solution that makes it possible for both consumers and businesses to get what they need, without plastic waste,” says CEO Rayson Ho.
Through På(fyll)’s website, consumers can order a wide range of home and personal care products from well-known brands such as Zalo, Omo, Jif, Lano, Klar and Blenda. The products are delivered in reusable containers directly to the customer via the Helthjem service. Customers can then refill the products into containers they already have, further reducing the need to purchase new plastic products. When the På(fyll) containers are empty, customers can easily reorder by scanning the QR code on the back of the container. The empty containers are placed back in the box they came in and collected so they can be sent on for cleaning and refilling with new products. The containers are designed to be used at least ten times before being recycled for new purposes. Overall, this creates a circular model that emphasises ease of use, cost efficiency and environmental sustainability.Learn more here:
From pilot project to national service
She says that the idea emerged in 2019, when there was considerable attention on plastic waste and climate change. På(fyll) was launched as an innovation project at Orkla the same year, in collaboration with Æra and Bakken & Bæck.
After several iterations and tests in the period from 2019 to 2021, including a closed pilot with nine households, the business model and service offering were further developed. From spring 2022 to summer 2023, they carried out a pilot with almost 200 customers across Norway to test the system on a larger scale. With funding from, among others, The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund, a soft launch was made possible in autumn 2023, and the service is now available nationwide, with around 3,000 active users.
– The funding from The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund has been crucial for us. It has helped us prove that there is a business model behind the service, and that this is something consumers are actually willing to pay for. The Fund’s validation has also been important in securing trust among investors and driving further development, Ho explains.
Lars Brede Johansen, Head of Plastics and the Environment at The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund, explains it as follows:“The use of plastic has increased exponentially in Norway and globally for several decades. Although plastic is often a good choice in both products and packaging, unchecked growth in consumption is incompatible with sustainable development. Recycling must increase substantially from today’s low levels in order to reduce the need for virgin plastic. That is important. But only a reduction in plastic volumes solves the resource and waste problems before they arise. This requires smarter use of plastic, as demonstrated by På(fyll), whose circular business model ensures that packaging is reused many times before being recycled into high-quality recycled raw materials. På(fyll) is leading the way, but is not alone. More and more companies are following suit, within packaging, construction materials, textiles, aquaculture and other industries. The Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund wants to help engage more actors and accelerate the transition to reduced plastic use and circular solutions.”
Sustainability made easier
Studies conducted by På(fyll) in collaboration with the research institute NORSUS show that users can reduce their climate footprint by up to 80 per cent by refilling products through the service rather than buying them in shops in single-use packaging.
Another survey shows that nine out of ten Norwegians want to live more sustainably, but many find it difficult to identify practical solutions. På(fyll) believes it has made it easier for several hundred Norwegians to make sustainable choices by removing the need for single-use plastic packaging. The service not only reduces plastic waste, they say, but is also designed to minimise inconvenience for consumers, who no longer need to remember to bring their own containers or seek out specialist shops.
