umdasch – The Store Makers

Liquid Dispenser

Saving CO2 and avoiding plastic waste – that is the promise of the innovative refilling station “Liquid Dispenser” from umdasch with the aim of making shopping more sustainable.

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General Description

The Liquid Dispenser is a refilling station for the loose sale of cleaning products or detergents that combines sustainable action with a digital customer experience. By refilling the product packaging brought along, it enables sustainable shopping. In addition, it is IoT-capable – this means that it not only provides valuable data, but also facilitates operation by sales staff, for example by sending out an automated e-mail as a reminder when a product is nearing the end. The Liquid Dispenser also allows customers an easy refilling process without dripping.

And this is how it works: You buy the first bottle in a regular way. As soon as you used up the contents, you take the empty product packaging back. You scan the code on the bottle and start the refill. The latest generation of the Liquid Dispenser is now established on the market as a sustainable shopfitting system. Among others, the drugstore chain dm now uses the refilling system in more than 120 shops in Austria.

Sustainability Impact

Fuelled by the mega-trend of neo-ecology, the Liquid Dispenser makes it possible to avoid plastic in advance. Our calculations show that refilling saves 2,260 kg of CO2 equivalents and almost 2 tonnes of plastic waste over a five-year period of use and 500 refills per month. This result is based on the following calculation: average 500 refills per month x 65 g (per bottle) x 12 months x 5 years = 1,950 kg of plastic waste saved.

These calculations are based on the carbon footprint calculation commissioned by umdasch, which provides information on the total greenhouse gas emissions caused during the entire product life cycle (production, transport, operation with electricity from hydropower, maintenance, disposal) of the Liquid Dispenser and the product containers. The carbon footprint calculation was performed by the sustainability experts at c7-consult.

In conclusion, the system undercuts conventional disposable bottles from the shelf in terms of carbon footprint within a very short time. From 120 fillings of cleaning and care products with the Liquid Dispenser in reusable bottles, this type of refilling at the point of sale is more climate-friendly than buying conventional disposable bottles.