The Challenge

When one of the UK’s most recognisable household cleaning brands came to us, they were looking for a better way to deal with their redundant packaging.

As with many fast-moving consumer goods companies, regular product updates and design changes meant they were often left with thousands of perfectly usable boxes that no longer matched current branding. These boxes were clean, strong, and high-quality, but because the artwork had changed, they were destined for recycling.

At the same time, their supply chain created another steady stream of packaging waste. The manufacturers that produced their bottles and cleaning components were sending large quantities of boxes to them. After a single use, these too were being baled for recycling.

Although recycling seemed like the best option, the brand realised it was costing them more than it should… both financially and environmentally. Recycling involved handling costs, offered only a small rebate, and required large amounts of energy and water to reprocess the cardboard. They wanted to take action that genuinely reduced waste and supported their scope 3 goals.

The Solution

 That’s when they began working with us at Reuseabox.

Our mission is simple: keep cardboard in use for longer simply because it’s better for the planet. We help businesses across the UK turn what was once waste into a resource

And by doing so, it reduces carbon, saves trees, and keeps packaging in circulation for longer.

We started by finding a better route for their redundant stock. Instead of baling perfectly good boxes, the company began sending them to us. We sorted, palletised, and resold them to other UK businesses looking for a better way to buy cardboard boxes.

Next, we worked with their supply chain. Together, we developed a process to collect the used boxes that came from the manufacturer producing their bottles and cleaning elements. Rather than being discarded after one journey, these materials were now captured, checked, and reused through our network.

The Outcome

The results speak for themselves. Together, to date, we’ve helped this household cleaning brand reuse:

• 111,368 boxes

That’s equivalent to:

• 104.8 tonnes of carbon saved
• 377 trees protected
• 21 million litres of water conserved
• 1.7 kWh of energy saved

Financially, it was a win as well. By this cleaning brand reusing rather than recycling, the brand began earning around 45% more per tonne than traditional recycling rebates… all whilst reducing their scope 3 emissions.

By capturing value from both redundant stock and used packaging from their suppliers, the brand has built a truly circular system that benefits every part of their operation.

They’ve reduced waste, improved sustainability performance, and created a new revenue stream. All through one simple change.

You could say they were astonished at the results.