The challenge
FoodCap International engaged us to help them develop their sustainability strategy on circular economy (CE) principles. The business also wanted to be able to answer their customers’ requests about the sustainability and economics of their product. Understanding what motivates their customers and supply chain partners, and their sustainability needs, was important too.
FoodCap produces a circular economy packaging solution for transporting and storing food, including the ‘FishCap’ for fish and seafood. The business’ mission is to ‘drive change to make the movement of food more sustainable’.
The company focuses on markets in the USA, United Kingdom and Scandinavia. It is based in New Zealand.
The FishCap product
Customers can buy an individual FishCap container or lease a set as part of an ‘end-to-end logistics system’. FoodCap has designed the FishCap on these CE principles:
- Designing out waste and pollution
- Keeping products and materials in use
- Conserving resources.
The FishCap stores and transports fish and seafood between harvesting and processing. The packaging is a lightweight, durable foamed resin and is 100% recyclable. It can be reused many times and offers an attractive alternative to the single-use EPS (Expanded Polystyrene/Styro) packaging common across the industry.
EPS is not the low-cost packaging it was. As it can contaminate the marine food chain, regulators have introduced bans and tariffs to eliminate it, and major retailers are investigating alternatives for tertiary packaging.
How we helped FoodCap
Research is an important part of any sustainability strategy. When a product’s design is central to that strategy (as it is here), that research should include market analysis, competitor analysis and the views of important stakeholders like suppliers.
Using interviews and desk research, we identified the sustainability issues that matter most to FishCap’s customers, competitors, and suppliers. We also looked at the seafood market as a whole: Where does sustainability (and sustainable tertiary packaging in particular) sit in the market’s priorities?
We then reviewed the implications of the European Green Deal. CE principles are central to the EU’s ambitious plans to become the first climate-neutral economic bloc by 2050. The EU and UK tax non-recycled plastic packaging waste and many retailers are pursuing ambitious zero-waste targets.
Using the results of our research, we prioritised a list of projects (CE and carbon footprint), potential circular economy-based certifications (e.g. Cradle to Cradle®), and socio-economic analyses. These projects, certifications and analyses will help FoodCap show clients and suppliers the benefits of their systems.
How we are enabling FoodCap to succeed sustainably
Understanding its market
Our work is helping FoodCap understand the market for its FishCap technology and what motivates customers and suppliers to change and innovate.
Designing its product: economic benefits, reduced risk and environmental impact
Our research will help the company show the benefits of its product and develop the business model behind it. For example, feedback from suppliers will help FoodCap show the economic advantages of a reusable system over a single-use alternative that many would like phased out.
The projects and circularity tools we have recommended will help FoodCap measure and continue to improve the FishCap’s ‘material circularity’ (the extent to which it avoids using virgin materials and producing waste) and its environmental impacts.
Engaging with stakeholders
Our research is helping FoodCap engage its clients, suppliers and team. For example, providing the data that clients are asking for will help the company build relationships.
Industry cooperation is important to drive change, and our work will help the FoodCap team influence others in the packaging and seafood industries.
April 2022