Robbert Nijssen’s Post

What does the future hold for the biggest & best change brands of tomorrow? Perhaps we'll be heading out in our Zen Running Club trainers for a cup of Morrow - The Coffee of Tomorrow in a ReBorn Homewares mug with a dash of MYOM ! Thanks for the inspiration Rayan Jawad😀 Wishing every success in the world to the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator class of '24: 💡 Michael Curtis🥛 and Mark Platts from MYOM minimising packaging waste and transportation emissions by selling an oat premix that turns into a milk when mixed with water. 💡 Clare Cunningham and Ross from PAINT ZERO revolutionising the paint industry with an innovative fossil-fuel-free, plant-based paint. 💡Ira Guha leading Asan on a mission to eradicate period poverty and tampon waste with its innovative reusable menstrual cup. 💡 Ali McAleavy (Cullen) leading ZIG+STAR solving the challenge of fast-growing feet with its collection of expandable and durable unisex kids’ shoes. 💡 Anna-Sophie Deetjen from Morrow - The Coffee of Tomorrow providing a cost-effective and more environmentally friendly solution to the challenges posed by conventional coffee production. 💡 Marc Biessy & Jean-Baptiste Duranton from Ops clean revolutionising laundry detergents with a sustainable, allergy-free solution. 💡 Richard Rusling and Andy Farnworth from Zen Running Club capturing the next generation of runners who want to balance sustainability with performance. 💡 And ReBorn Homewares with our very own Brian Walmsley and Kyriakos Z. which has already turned 17 tonnes of waste into more than 33,000 useful and desirable products, available now at John Lewis Lovely wrap-up video below. With a massive thanks & kudos to John Boumphrey, Laura Holmes, Stefania Ghisleni, Amy Dingemans, Charlotte Potter, Robert Novakov, Isabella Tasker, Giulia Prandelli, Camilla Lor, Paul Finch, Rayan Jawad, Lisa Janßen, Andy Kerr from the three guiding organisations - Growth Studio, Climate-KIC and Amazon for bringing it all together🙏👏🏽 And most of all, let's create more hope in 2025 - through positive action together. 💪🏽 #circulareconomy #recycledproducts #sustainability #accelerator #innovation

As beer drinkers at We Help Recruit, we love hearing this 🍺👇 DS Smith has teamed up with Carlsberg Poland to introduce a new round wrap, a sustainable packaging solution featuring rounded corners. This initiative aims to significantly reduce the use of shrink film on pallets, potentially saving up to 224 tons of CO2 annually. Key Highlights: ♻️ Sustainability: The Round Wrap is fully recyclable and developed using DS Smith's Circular Design Metrics, focusing on reducing carbon footprint, optimising supply chains, and efficient material use. 🎨 Branding and Design: The rounded corners provide enhanced opportunities for brand identity and illustrations, offering a 360-degree surface for branding. 📊 Consumer Preference: A survey conducted by DS Smith and Toluna revealed a strong preference for the Round Wrap's design, with 77% of respondents indicating a higher likelihood of purchase. This partnership underscores the commitment of both DS Smith and Carlsberg Poland to innovative and eco-friendly packaging solutions. 🌱📦 Read more about this initiative by clicking the link. #Sustainability #EcoFriendly #PackagingInnovation

🍊 Tropicana Orange Juice 🍊 is the latest brand to be hit with consumer dissatisfaction over alleged #shrinkflation. The new bottle design reduces plastic in the cap, and overall plastics in the bottle design as well as enhancing shipping efficiency because of the new shape. The #materialreduction story is being lost because some #retailers haven't followed directives to reduce cost to reflect the slightly reduced volume. #Sustainability messaging is critical. Let consumers know the WHY so they can celebrate, rather than shame, brands bold enough to make these changes. https://lnkd.in/gRQkTpb8

The emergence of Gen Z as a core consumer base means that the FMCG sector can’t afford to brush sustainability concerns under the carpet. #genZ #consumer #fmcg #sustainability https://lnkd.in/eSQ7DTkt

The longest party is over - or is it? I remember well the infamous parties in the 80’s where my mums friends would gather to buy these iconic products, and to say you had been to a Tupperware party was a marked social event! This week we hear more details of the scale of the challenges at Tupperware - Over $700m of debt and this week it`s market share price collapsed. But is it over…. In a world where we are increasingly focussed on avoiding waste, recycling. Back in it’s day, this was the leading environmentally sound product - was it not? A reuseable container, found on the royal dinner table in London. Encouraging consumers to store foods, liquids and not have so much waste, things would store longer and be kept fresh. Yes, of course we have seen cheaper alternatives, but yet we have a brand that has depended on it`s heritage to deliver performance. History also tells us that opting for single use plastic wasn’t our best technology advance. But this highlights that unless we re-engage and maintain connection with consumers over product relevance, we can never be assured of sales, even less so be complacent. A premium price too - when we see many brands around the world developing cheaper alternatives, possibly not better. However in value driven markets, we have to respond. So, perhaps it is the end, or perhaps a new opportunity to re-build and renew? An investment opportunity…. I doubt the parties will become a social event again though, but who knows…in some markets perhaps. #Tupperware #reinvention #turnaround #brand #FMCG #Transformation #privateequity

#Sustainability tends to move up and down most consumers’ priorities depending on economics or their awareness of specific categories and situations. Brand strategy must work above this ever-changing landscape, and it requires clear long-term business choices and consistent execution. The result is that it is brands who are driving most of the positive change in environmental areas like packaging. Brands are doing this for several reasons – most are genuinely engaged with environmental issues, but it is also because it makes good business sense. Change is inevitable and they need to be prepared – not reactive. They also know that long-term consumer sentiment will require it of them. Preparedness is about economic efficiency and long-term protection. A core skill of great brands is to take the long view to ensure the brand remains relevant in the future. These two initiatives are part of this journey and show Diageo  and Baileys leading the agenda. We love the comment ‘progress over perfection’. It marks this as breakthrough innovation. Act fast, do it and then improve it. Make the change and then bring the consumer with you. This will have required significant investment – and risk – in changing an efficient, proven, existing supply chain. This is what brands do… they lead, yes always listening to consumers, but when a crossroads is reached, they act. Glass will be at the forefront of packaging change in the next decade. At the British Brands Group’s recent launch of their White Paper/research into Innovation in UK Grocery, one of the panellists @Tanguy Pellen of Skarbek, a leading innovation consultancy said the following: “… you ship 1 litre [of liquid] while you ship 1kg of glass. At the same time glass [uses] a precious material, sand, that’s burnt at 1600 degrees in a very high energy consuming oven… …anyone who thinks that will be the case in a couple of decades, well, it won’t be. Right?” Baileys is making important steps in their long-term response to these challenges. Kudos to Diageo 👏 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eTKsVT3G #WhatBrandsDo #Sustainability #Packaging #Innovation

I'M ON MY SOAPBOX! As founder of a business that is driving bold, positive change in Beauty, last week I had the opportunity to talk at the UK Retail Sustainability Conference organised by Westminster Insight. Why did I create KinKind Ltd? Because mass beauty products like Shampoo and Conditioner are 80% WATER being shipped around in SINGLE USE PLASTIC BOTTLES. This is AVOIDABLE waste and carbon emissions. And, the big FMCG brands have too much risk to their base business to be bold enough to drive the positive change for consumers and for our planet. Procter & Gamble, L'Oréal & Unilever have done a tick-box exercise of putting a toe into the solid shampoo market, and now we have the big GREENHUSH as they quietly exit, and say that consumers don't want it. RUBBISH! At KinKind Ltd we have a business model and products that PROVES that consumers want to buy sustainable high performance beauty products OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Kantar data says that consumers CAN'T FIND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS in their grocery shop. Big Brands and Retailers are FAILING our future generations because of a short term risk of loss of shelf-space and margin. Together we can do BETTER. Consumers want EASY SWAPS that deliver results. To retailers Sainsbury's, Boots UK, Tesco etc. there is a BETTER way to offer BEAUTIFUL hair & skin for your customers, without selling them 80% water in single use plastic bottles. See here www.kinkind.co.uk Thank you Westminster Insights for giving me the platform to challenge ourselves to make bold business decisions to drive a BETTER FUTURE. #sustainableinnovation #businesswithpurpose #shampoobar #disruptiveinnovation

Last week, I had the privilege to attend with my colleague Tommi Väyrynen the European Food & Beverage Plastic Packaging Summit (15th & 16th of May) in beautiful Porto, an event that masterfully brought the intersections of innovation, sustainability, and industry collaboration into the spotlight. As an Engineer at IKEA specializing in the packaging sector, the summit was an insightful platform to not only observe but also participate in high-level discussions centered around the evolution of packaging materials. One of the key focal points was the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), a topic that resonated with all, given its far-reaching implications on how we design, produce, and recycle packaging products. The presence of major packaging and food companies enriched the dialogue, providing a real-world context to the aspirations and hurdles prevalent in the industry. What inspired me the most were the shared commitments to overcoming obstacles for a greener future. The summit hosted thought-provoking discussions and interactive sessions where knowledge exchanged aiming to propel the packaging industry towards a sustainable and innovative future. Here are a few compelling learnings I'm excited to bring back to my role at IKEA: 1) How new regulations like PPWR are shaping the industry's approach to sustainability and understanding their implications on business operations. 2) The innovative materials & packaging solutions that align with circular economy principles, offering exciting possibilities for waste reduction and resource efficiency. 3) The power of collaboration - how joining forces with other industry players can lead to more impactful and scalable solutions. I am returning to IKEA with a pack full of ideas and a clearer sight of the industry's trajectory, ready to contribute to our journey in making packaging smarter and more sustainable. A big shoutout to all the brilliant minds at the summit and the opportunities ahead as we navigate this dynamic landscape! Thank you to the organizers for such a thought-provoking event and to all the incredible professionals I had the pleasure to meet and learn from. Here's to continuing the conversation and making meaningful strides towards innovation and sustainability! 🌿♻️ #PackagingInnovation #Sustainability #EuropeanPackagingSummit #CircularEconomy #PackagingEngineering

That’s what I love from my job, being constantly exposed to talented professionals and ideas that I can learn from! Last week, I joined a roundtable at the III #PublicAffairs Forum of Spain alongside Carol Blázquez, Palencia, Ana and Carme Miró, discussing #CorporatePurpose. Here are my key learnings: 💡Companies aware of the negative environmental impact of their activities often invest more resources in communicating their sustainability efforts in order to improve their image. However, those companies that genuinely make real efforts to ensure the sustainability of their operations often remain silent. This situation can contribute to widespread confusion. 💡Purpose-driven brands deliver better results, as demonstrated by Unilever, which has seen an average return on investment of 2x in its purpose-driven brands, such as Dove 💡In Spain, price sensitivity is high. According to our research, at Wallapop we know that the economic factor is decisive for 94% of consumers. This favors private labels, fast fashion, and ultra-low prices. That’s why brands try to differentiate themselves in a competitive market and justify their higher prices by committing to a purpose and offering the best quality. Unilever, for example, integrates sustainability into its processes, while Ecoalf focuses on the quality of its materials. 💡 The greater your reputation, the stronger your influence in public affairs. Reputation is essential when advocating for a cause or idea and Creative communication can help you maximize your reputation A huge thank you to NITID for organizing this event! #wallapop #circularity #purpose #greenwashing

It is a hard truth. But producing sustainable products is only half the job done. ✅ Unless the consumers get aware and provide an easy system of disposing recyclable tubes properly, most products cannot get recycled. We need a holistic system for that. Recently, Colgate and Watsons Hong Kong collaborated on a similar initiative. Named “Small Act, Big Smiles”, it enables the customers to drop off used toothpaste tubes of any brands for recycling in any of the 180 Watsons Hong Kong stores across the nation in exchange for a small voucher. 5 years into launching their sustainable tubes, Colgate encourages customers to contribute towards the sustainability movement with minimal effort and long-term benefits. As the initiative targets an everyday commodity like toothpaste, and includes toothpaste tubes of all brands in the drive, it makes the impact much more versatile and easily doable by the consumers. What happens after collecting the tubes? ♻ The recyclable tubes are upcycled and produced stationeries that are distributed among underprivileged children. And the non-recyclable tubes are reused in building materials, ensuring minimal waste. This is surely a major step on building gradual systems and changing consumer habits towards a greater impact. And we are expecting multiple new initiatives towards sustainability that vote for a holistic progress towards a greener world. Looking for sustainable co-ex tube solutions for your upcoming product range? Visit www.puritypolytubes.com #flexiblepackaging #packagingindustry #plastubes #tubepackaging #sustainability #initiatives