Recycling is increasingly becoming a routine habit for many people. However, not all supermarkets make it easy. In this regard, a Catalan company has launched a system that will make it increasingly easier to dispose of used packaging.
This is the bonÀrea group and its new project RetornA, an innovative circular economy system that allows consumers to return meat product trays to the stores. This proposal, a pioneer in the agri-food sector, seeks to promote more responsible and sustainable consumption. It directly involves the customer in the process of recycling and reusing packaging.
The initiative starts with chicken fillet as the first product included in the system. It is sold in a special tray, designed to facilitate its recovery. With a protective base film that is easily removed when opening the package.
How bonÀrea's recycling system works
Once the food is consumed, the customer can return the tray to any bonÀrea store without needing to wash it beforehand. Thanks to the chain's daily logistics, the trays are collected and transported to the Guissona food center. It is there where they undergo a thorough process of evaluation, cleaning, and reconditioning to be used again.
To encourage participation, the system establishes a deposit of 0.45 euros for each tray, which is returned along with an additional incentive. Finally, a total refund of 0.50 euros is achieved at the time of return. Besides promoting sustainability, this system allows offering a more economical price per kilo of chicken.
The cost of disposable packaging—which legally must be incorporated into the product price—disappears. "With RetornA we want to contribute to advancing toward a more conscious and sustainable way of consuming," explained Daniel Marsol, director of communication and marketing. "Thanks to our vertical integration model, we can drive this round trip of trays and reduce plastic use," he added.
A million-euro investment
The initial investment of the project exceeds ten million euros and has started in the 57 bonÀrea establishments in the Tarragona area and the two stores in Guissona. The goal is to collect data, optimize processes, and validate the system's effectiveness before extending it to the entire network of stores in Catalonia. In a second stage, to the rest of the territory.
Each tray can be reused up to 50 times without compromising safety or quality. It is estimated that, just in Tarragona, RetornA could prevent the production of 80,000 single-use trays per year. Undoubtedly, all of this marks a significant step toward more sustainable food consumption.