Grocery shopping going green

When was the last time you thought about the basket you're carrying around your local supermarket while browsing the shelves? We don't know either.

But Coop did just that. One of the two major Swiss supermarket chains, Coop operates 960 stores all over Switzerland. And in one of these locations, you can now get your hands on a shopping basket made from #tide ocean material. Apart from the handle, the whole basket is made from recycled ocean-bound plastic. The plastic waste was collected through our network of small-scale fishermen in Southeast Asia and we transformed it into a quality raw material.

Partnerships as innovation drivers

The baskets are the result of a collaborative development process between Coop and #tide. For such projects #tide is able to provide full technical support to make sure the end product matches all the requirements. CTO Pascal Glardon is heading this kind of work: "These baskets have to be able to carry a lot of weight, and sometimes there are reservations about what recycled plastics can and cannot do. For example, when it comes to stability and durability. hrough thorough small-scale testing, we have proven and demonstrated that our #tide ocean rPP is every bit as good as its virgin counterpart. We are confident that it will stand the test of time."

"Through thorough small-scale testing, we have proven and demonstrated that our #tide ocean rPP is every bit as good as its virgin counterpart."
Pascal Glardon, CTO #tide

For Coop, the pilot project is a great way to learn more about how to implement recycled ocean-bound plastic into their own internal processes. By using #tide ocean material for the baskets, they have cut the material related carbon footprint in half. But apart from that very measurable effect, Coop can also utilize their huge reach to raise awareness about plastic pollution and sustainability in general.

"The shopping baskets made from recycled coastal materials are a great and innovative way in which we make sustainability real and tangible in our stores."
Roberto Villoria, Total Store Director at Coop

The partnership between Coop and #tide is the result of a program called “Kickstart Innovation". Two years ago, #tide was part of the prestigious program and that is where we met with Coop for the first time. Katka Letzing is CEO and co-founder of Kickstart and has made facilitating partnerships between large corporations and innovative start-ups the focus of her work. "Kickstart Innovation is very proud to have been the initiative that has brought our longstanding partner Coop and Tide Ocean together during our 2021 program and to see this incredible result", Letzing says.

"This is a true testament to what's possible when we come together and embrace the spirit of innovation and move together towards a circular economy."
Katka Letzing, CEO Kickstart Innovation