HOW IT STARTED…
Hamburg, Germany 2019: The Fridays for Future movement brought climate change and the urgency for action into the broader societal consciousness. Addressing future challenges is growing on all levels. Lars Buck dedicated himself to the fight against the millions of tons of packaging waste that are thrown away each year, resulting in a unique approach—and the creation of a brand.
…Hello SEA ME!
The packaging waste problem has always been strongly associated with the pollution of our oceans, which is why the connection to “SEA” was made. Nowadays, we associate cosmetic products with body care and cleansing, leading to the birth of the brand SEA ME. The goal was, and still is, to develop high-quality, vegan, and pleasantly scented care formulas that are sold in returnable containers. Moving away from single-use waste toward reusability in bathrooms and kitchens.
Retailers are joining in!
Starting with hand soap, the concept was well received. The good news was that a returnable packaging deposit system already existed in the beverage industry in Germany, allowing us to leverage an existing structure. Additionally, retailers joined in and took our containers back, ensuring closed loops. We worked on expanding our portfolio into other areas: bath relaxation, after-sun, dish soap, and yes, even hand sanitizer, which was a blessing during the COVID period.
zerooo WAS BORN
As we gained more experience with SEA ME, it became clear to us that the greater ecological impact lays in the systematic reuse system. In 2020, we created zerooo, the returnable packaging system for cosmetics and drugstore products. The aim was to integrate as many brands as possible into the returnable system by utilizing standardized mono-material bottles that everyone can use, moving away from the single-use mindset. Some brands have already launched in zerooo glass containers and in 2024 lots of brands are launching in zerooo PET mono-material bottles!
zerooo returnable packaging
system in the future
