Bag-for-life

There’ a reason why a returnable shopping bag is sometimes called a bag-for-life. The durable and washable – not to forget – Returnable Bag is all you need. 

Plastic is regarded as one of the biggest hazards to the environment today. With the aim of replacing all single-use plastic bags, Lindström has launched the Returnable Bag in 11 countries, with wide acceptance from the markets. E.g. in India, where plastic bags were then newly banned, the Returnable Bag was awarded “the Winner of Customer Retail Journey Innovation” at the 2nd Edition Future of Retail Summit & Awards 2019.

It just takes one

 Lindström is constantly seeking to increase its understanding of the customer’s need, the lifetime impacts of our products and services at the customer’s hands. Our experts are encouraged to co-create together with customers, in order to address the needs of the world around us. The story of the Returnable Bag started with just the one customer, who was interested in providing a sustainable solution to its customers. This soon escalated into a co-creation project, and soon the only bag you’ll ever need was born.

From the user perspective, the concept is simple. The bag works in a similar manner to a deposit bottle; buy the bag at check-out counters and once the bag gets dirty, return it to the store. While returning the bag, you can ask for your deposit back, or then take another reusable bag into use.

But by opting for the Reusable Bag, the customer becomes a part of something bigger, a link in the stream of the circular economy. By reusing the bag as per their need, the customer generates less waste and makes sure that the natural resources used to produce the bag are utilized to the max. Opting for the Reusable Bag is a concrete, genuine thing that a consumer can do to enhance sustainability with their own actions.

Once the customer has returned the used bag to the shop, Lindström then picks them up, washes them to ensure superior hygiene and safety, and then restocks nice and clean bags for the next user. This happens over and over again, we even mend the bags to keep them rotating and in use for years to come. In a way, the bag acts the binding element which connects both the consumer and the customer, the shop in question, to the circular economy.

Upcycling for sustainability

The Returnable bags meet the needs of both our customers and their consumers as well as the urgent need of the oceans, to get rid of the excess plastics clogging our waters. Durable bags, which can be cleaned and mended time and time again, wear out the single-use plastic bags and support our customers in their pursuit to reduce the unnecessary use of plastic, developing reusable packaging, and improving recycling. As a bonus, it makes it easier for consumers to make responsible choices in everyday life.

But the bags are also a chance to recycle already once used textiles for Lindström, allowing us to circulate the end-of-life textiles to something new, minimizing the need for virgin materials. By entering a partnership with Reused Remade earlier this year, we have started a bold initiative to upcycle the end of life cycle hotel textiles into returnable bags. The Reused Remade bags offer the customers and consumers an even more stylish choice for the bag-for-life, elevating the game into a whole new level both in terms of design and sustainability.