GlobalSF-Nestlé Waste Reduction Pilot
Application Now Closed
Background
One of Nestlé’s biggest ambitions is that none of its packaging - including plastics - ends up in landfill or as litter by 2025. Nestlé believes there is an urgent need to minimize the impact of packaging on the environment and is asking for help from innovators solving this problem.
The Opportunity
Nestlé and Global SF are looking for a startup partner who can build and pilot a consumer-friendly refill system* in the food and/or beverage space. The goal is to develop a refill system that can be used in grocery stores to help reduce Nestlé’s carbon footprint and the amount of packaging that ends up in landfills. While feasibility and innovative design are of course part of this project, the main goal is to build consumer-friendly refill prototypes to be tested in a real-life pop-up shop. This way, Nestlé and participating startups can identify through first-hand observation what shoppers are truly looking for in the refill space.
The below are a few examples of what in-store refill systems look like today:
We’re asking for your help in reimagining what these refill systems can look like in the future:
More specifically, we’re looking for a solution that is:
Digitally enabled / enhanced
Convenient for the consumer
Reduces the use of packaging
Entices the consumer to use and encourages reuse
What we’re not looking for is:
Reuse**
Full technical solution
Machine maintenance/technical solutions/self-life
E-commerce solutions
Product rotation
Financial viability (margin/revenue)
Supply chain
Benefits for Startups:
● $10k per selected startup to implement pilot and proof of concept in San Francisco
● Partner with GlobalSF’s global network and Nestlé to pilot solutions in San Francisco
● Introductions to potential partners and investors in the public and private sectors
● Opportunity to present to the Nestlé USA Executive Leadership team
● Potential opportunities to scale with Nestlé and a leading retailer
● Demo product and solution virtually to GlobalSF’s extensive network and global food innovation ecosystem
● First-hand observation and testing of consumer-friendly refill prototypes
Criteria:
● Companies must have a prototype or product ready to test solution(s) in the San Francisco Bay Area this summer and looking for direct customer feedback to take place in a San Francisco based retailer (refill solutions)
● Companies must have at least 1 full time team member available in San Francisco for the duration of the pilot (1-3 weeks)
● Companies must have the ability to create a refill system for a grocery store space
● Preference will be given to companies with the ability to create a digital component for the pilot
● Companies must build, implement the solution, and execute the pop-up shop test with the $10k provided
● Prototyping and pilot must occur within 3 months (project completion by mid-September at the latest)
*Refill in this context means: a characteristic of a product or packaging that can be filled with the same or similar product more than once, in its original form and without additional processing except for specified requirements such as cleaning or washing
**Reuse in this context means: a certain number of trips, rotations or uses for the same purpose for which it was conceived.