IN-LAND COFIBRE

DO WE HAVE SUSTAINABLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE SHOPPING BAGS IN THE MARKET? The use of plastic bags is not a small issue. On average, every European uses 165 plastic bags each year, nearly 10 billion of them are consumed in the EU. Plastic is catastrophic towards nature, yet makes up 70% of the waste that is found in European waters. Up to 70% of this waste consists of plastic bags. Plastics are even reaching citizens' lungs and dinner tables, with microplastics in air, water, and food having an unknown impact on their health (European Commission, plasticEurope,2018). Simply put, the problem we are tackling is single-use plastic shopping bags (particularly starting at farmer's markets) and the waste produced.

IN-LAND COFIBRE introducing "LOOPTAS: Free Industry-First Sustainable and circular shopping Bag Return scheme". At the Farmer's Market, we offer free shopping bags so that customers can avoid accepting free single-use plastic. LoopTas has seven compartments for storing various vegetables and fruits. The customer pays a deposit for a bag and retains the entire deposit if the bag is returned via the Vending machine at the farmer's market. Depending on the condition of the product, the returned bags will be handled (cleaned or recycled). Furthermore, customers are encouraged to reuse their bags in order to earn discounts through our mobile application each time (NFC chip on the bag helps to record reuses) they do so when shopping at the farmer's market.