Packshare’s Uk Origins
Packshare was started in the UK by the amazing Louisa and Roo. Together, they have built a database of businesses who receive and give packaging. As a result, they have managed to divert enormous amounts of packaging from recycling plants and landfill in the Uk, saving resources and energy. They have generously given permission for us to start Packshare Australia and have given their intellectual property and advice for free.
Roo and Louisa live in Falmouth, Cornwall in the UK. Roo plays in a punk band and Louisa is studying a PhD. Louisa came up with the idea of Packshare while working for a shop in Falmouth. They received a lot of deliveries and sent out a lot of parcels so they were able to reuse all of their own packaging, but she realised that not all businesses had the same business model so a lot of packaging is just thrown away or needlessly recycled. Soon she started bringing in her own waste packaging from home and her co-workers quickly followed suit. Nobody wanted to throw their packaging away, but with online shopping constantly on the rise there always seemed to be more coming in than could be reused by individuals.
Packshare is a database of small businesses who – like that first shop – can reuse packaging and are happy to have it donated by local people. It helps build community, raise awareness of small businesses, and saves businesses from needing to buy brand new packaging. It just makes sense. Businesses can also list the waste packaging they generate so people can drop in and collect it – perfect for when you’ve sold something on Ebay and don’t want to buy a roll of bubblewrap, and a great opportunity for businesses to work together to keep packaging in circulation.
Watch the full video here.