Albertsons Companies Joins Beyond the Bag Initiative

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January 25, 2021

Goals include reducing use of virgin materials, scaling new solutions, diverting bags from landfills; efforts complement plastic reduction work already underway at Albertsons Cos.

BOISE, Idaho–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Albertsons Companies today announced that it has joined the Beyond the Bag Initiative, its latest step to contributing to efforts to reduce plastic waste.

The Beyond the Bag Initiative, launched by the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, is a multi-year collaboration across retail sectors that aims to identify, test, and implement innovative new design solutions that serve the function of today’s single-use plastic retail bag, delivering ease and convenience for consumers while striving to lessen the impact on the environment.

“Albertsons Cos. has a passion for innovation and shares Beyond the Bag’s vision of reinventing the single-use retail bag,” said Suzanne Long, Group Vice President of Strategic Sourcing & ESG. “Ensuring our products are better for our communities and the planet is a priority for us. We look forward to working with the Beyond the Bag Initiative to help create a more sustainable future.”

The Beyond the Bag Initiative has several foundational goals:

  • Reduce the use of virgin materials from natural resources and greenhouse gases emitted from the production and recovery of bag solutions
  • Identify and scale innovative new design solutions to create a system that serves the function of the current retail bag
  • Increase the percentage of retail bags diverted from landfills
  • Inspire and engage people to imagine new possibilities for the retail bag system

Convened by The Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners, the Consortium includes retailers, environmental advisory partners, and third-party experts. Last summer, the Consortium launched a global innovation challenge to identify solutions to replace the current plastic bag, inviting entrepreneurs, designers, suppliers, and problem-solver to submit solutions. The Consortium expects to announce winning concepts in February. Eligible winners will receive funding, assistance in scaling, and get access to testing and potential piloting opportunities.

“It’s time for us to think beyond the status quo and reinvent the ubiquitous retail bag for a more sustainable future,” says Kate Daly, Managing Director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “We’re thrilled to welcome Albertsons Cos. into this consortium of leading retailers. Together, we can create impact at scale and tackle the challenge of plastic bag waste that spans companies and sectors.”

Throughout the next few years, Albertsons Cos. will continue to work on its own initiatives as well as collaborate with Consortium Partners to provide solutions for how to transport groceries home in a way that is both convenient for customers and more sustainable for the environment. The Consortium includes the three Founding Partners CVS Health, Target, and Walmart, as well as Kroger, DICK’s Sporting Goods, Hy-Vee, Meijer and Walgreens.

More information about the Beyond the Bag Initiative and its retail partners can be found here.

Additional plastic reduction efforts already underway at Albertsons Cos:

  • Plastics and Packaging Pledge: Albertsons Cos. announced its Plastics and Packaging Pledge in April 2019 to advance sustainability and reduce plastic waste throughout the company and its banners, starting with its operations and its extensive Own Brands portfolio. Among the commitments is a pledge to ensure 100 percent of its Own Brands packaging is recyclable, reusable, or industrially compostable by 2025. The company has also committed to decreasing its overall plastic usage, with an emphasis on single-use plastics. More information about the company’s Plastics and Packaging Pledge can be found at www.albertsons.com/plasticspledge.
  • Reusable bags made with recycled bags and plastic film: Select stores offer reusable shopping bags that are produced through a closed-loop process that produces bags made from 65 percent recycled material, including a minimum of 40 percent post-consumer waste. Some of this recycled material comes from plastics that customers recycle in the stores and the company’s own operations.
  • Reusable bags made from ocean-bound plastic: The company’s Southern California stores offer bags made with up to 90 percent post-consumer plastics that would otherwise end up in oceans and waterways. Each bag is created from material that has been traced through the entire supply chain – from collection to production.
  • Efforts to reduce single-use bags: The company is proactively working to decrease double-bagging and increasing the number of items in each bag while still protecting the groceries inside the bag. The plastic bags come with a printed reminder to reminder to recycle bags; many stores offer drop-off bins for single-use plastic bins to help customers recycle their bags.

 

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. The company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. Albertsons Cos. is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2019 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave $225 million in food and financial support. In 2020, Albertsons Cos. made a $53 million commitment to community hunger relief efforts and a $5 million commitment to organizations supporting social justice. These efforts have helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, social justice and programs for people with disabilities and veterans’ outreach.

About the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag

The Beyond the Bag Initiative, launched by the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, aims to identify, pilot and implement viable design solutions and models that more sustainably serve the purpose of the current retail bag. Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy launched the initiative with Founding Partners CVS Health, Target and Walmart. Kroger joined as Grocery Sector Lead Partner, DICK’S Sporting Goods as Sports & Outdoors Sector Lead Partner and Albertsons Companies, Hy-Vee, Meijer, and Walgreens as Supporting Partners, alongside Conservation International and Ocean Conservancy as Environmental Advisory Partners. OpenIDEO is the Consortium’s Innovation Partner. Learn more about the Consortium here.

Contacts

Andrew Whelan
[email protected]

Jessica Long Joins Closed Loop Partners as CSO & Managing Director

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The investment and innovation firm is focused on the development of the circular economy.

January 25  – Jessica Long, former Managing Director of Sustainability & Responsible Business at Accenture, has joined circular economy investment and innovation firm Closed Loop Partners as Chief Strategy Officer & Managing Director. Jessica will be managing strategic projects, expanding partnerships with corporate partners and advising portfolio companies on their growth.

Most recently, Long led Accenture’s sustainability and responsible business practice across North America, helping companies in resources, food, fashion and technology advance their ESG goals, drive economic value through responsible business and scale circular business models. In addition to working with Fortune 500 companies, she drove multi-stakeholder efforts with the World Economic Forum and the United Nations Global Compact. Prior to that role, Jessica was based in East Africa, leading the company’s work at the intersection of business, international development and emerging markets.

Long has authored several papers and studies, including the recently published book The Circular Economy Handbook: Realizing the Circular Advantage. She is a regular contributor to the World Economic Forum and her work on circular economy and sustainable business has been featured in CIO, Harvard Business Review, Global Finance, GreenBiz, Bloomberg, ICIS, Disruptor League, Forbes and several podcasts.

“Jessica will deepen and expand our ability to drive value for our investors and portfolio companies,” says Ron Gonen, CEO of Closed Loop Partners. “As market forces and growing consumer demand drive the transition to a circular economy, we are thrilled to have Jessica join the Closed Loop Partners team in advancing the strategic growth of the firm.”

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity and project finance, as well as an innovation center focused on building the circular economy. By providing an arc of capital, the firm accelerates the growth of early-stage companies through to established companies, bridging gaps and fostering synergies to scale the circular economy. The firm has built an ecosystem that connects entrepreneurs, industry experts, global consumer goods companies, retailers, financial institutions and municipalities.

Closed Loop Partners Releases Groundbreaking Report on the Pathway to Scale for Reusable Packaging Models

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January 14, 2021

Closed Loop Partners, IDEO and the NextGen Consortium share learnings from multiple pilots of smart, modern reusable cup systems that eliminate waste 

Read the full report

January 14, New York – Today, the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners released a first-of-its-kind report, charting the way forward for durable reusable packaging systems that reduce the need for single-use packaging. In the report, Bringing Reusable Packaging Systems to Life, the investment firm and innovation center draw on insights from multiple reusable cup pilots conducted in partnership with the NextGen Consortium and IDEO, outlining key lessons learned and sharing a blueprint and open-source resource to encourage collaboration and the growth of reuse models.

Global waste has reached a tipping point, with plastic waste entering the ocean at a rate of 11 million metric tons a year, microplastics found atop Mount Everest and now even in the food we consume. Consumers, regulators and advocacy groups are increasingly clamoring for change, and reuse models offer a promising pathway forward. These solutions extend the use and lifespan of valuable materials, moving us away from a take, make, waste model of material use toward a more circular economy. 

“Reuse models are a critical tool in the fight against plastic waste, and brands and retailers are increasingly exploring them as a viable waste reduction strategy,” says Kate Daly, Managing Director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “Reusable packaging and cups are just the beginning; refill, resale and rental models that keep materials in circulation are poised to reinvent all kinds of product formats and industries. The future for reuse is bright, and now we need to work collaboratively toward it.” 

Closed Loop Partners convened the NextGen Consortium, with founding partners Starbucks and McDonald’s, among others, to address the world’s single-use food packaging waste by advancing the design, commercialization and recovery of packaging alternatives––starting with the hot and cold, to-go fiber cup system. Through the efforts of the NextGen Consortium, robust testing, funding and scaling of reusable cup models have been underway. Most recently, the Consortium ran pilots with NextGen Cup Challenge winners, CupClub and Muuse, across clusters of local cafes in the City of San Francisco and City of Palo Alto, CA.

Before scaling any system, proof of concept and rigorous testing is essential. NextGen’s pilots have validated a sustained and methodical approach to innovating and testing reuse models, surfacing critical inputs and considerations for scale––applicable beyond just cups. These include engaging diverse stakeholders, making sustainable material choices, selecting appropriate locations, choosing the right payment model and optimizing health and safety protocols. Ultimately, reuse models must provide a seamless, convenient experience for companies and customers.

“McDonald’s cups are an iconic part of the customer experience and can serve as a key gateway to increasing circular systems for our restaurants,” says Marion Gross, Chief Supply Chain Officer, North America, McDonald’s. “We remain committed to meaningful collaboration and solutions that will reduce waste and impact change at scale.” 

“Now is the perfect moment to design, implement and scale reuse models, as technological developments, regulatory pressures and consumer demand for eco-friendly alternatives converge,” says Chris Krohn, Project Lead, IDEO. “Piloting the reusable packaging models helps us better design a system that works for all.”   

“With single-use packaging volumes on the rise amidst the pandemic, safe and hygienic reuse models are critical to addressing the urgent issue,” says Erin Simon, Head, Plastic Waste and Business, World Wildlife Fund. “The NextGen Consortium’s reusable cup pilots are critical for providing the necessary data and understanding to advance these kinds of models as a whole and reduce waste.”  

“Changing mindsets and offering consumers reuse options must be part of our efforts to end plastic pollution once and for all,” says Kristin Hughes, Director of the Global Plastic Action Partnership, the platform for accelerating plastic pollution and waste action at the World Economic Forum. “It is crucial and very exciting to see innovative models being tried and tested on the ground by the NextGen Consortium and others.”

Beyond its work with the NextGen Consortium, Closed Loop Partners invests in and explores various other applications for reuse models. One example is the firm’s investment in Algramo, a startup solving economic and environmental issues through its vending machines that dispense staple products, such as household cleaners, “by the gram.” Continued experimentation, investment and collaboration are needed to further scale reuse models, and we work with diverse stakeholders across the value chain––from corporate partners to cities to environmental NGOs––to advance their growth and realize their full potential. 

 

About Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity and project finance, as well as an innovation center focused on building the circular economy.

The firm has built an ecosystem that connects entrepreneurs, industry experts, global consumer goods and technology companies, retailers, financial institutions and municipalities. Their investments align capitalism with positive social and environmental impact by reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions via materials innovation, advanced recycling technologies, supply chain optimization and diversion of materials from landfill.

 

About NextGen Consortium

The NextGen Consortium is a multi-year, global consortium that addresses single-use food packaging waste globally by advancing the design, commercialization, and recovery of food packaging alternatives. The NextGen Consortium is managed by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy. Starbucks and McDonald’s are the founding partners of the Consortium, The Coca-Cola Company, Yum! Brands, Nestlé, Wendy’s and Jacobs Douwe Egberts are supporting partners. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is the advisory partner and IDEO is the innovation partner. Learn more at www.nextgenconsortium.com.

 

Meijer Joins Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag

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December 17, 2020

Initiative is retailer’s latest effort to lessen its environmental impact

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Meijer announced today that it’s joined the Beyond the Bag Initiative aimed at identifying, testing and implementing sustainable solutions to move beyond the single-use plastic bag.

It’s among the retailer’s latest efforts to reduce waste and improve recycling, said Vik Srinivasan, Senior Vice President of Properties and Real Estate.

“Meijer operates under the philosophy that to be a good company, we must be a good neighbor,” Srinivasan said. “We are committed to lessening our impact on the environment and believe our participation in this initiative is an important step in keeping our communities clean for generations to come.”

Meijer is among numerous other retailers industrywide that are partnering in the Beyond the Bag Initiative that launched earlier this year by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy. The 3-year collaboration is working to find a replacement for the single-use plastic bag that’s functional, easy for customers to use and better for the environment. The initiative also engages with stakeholders, including suppliers, materials recovery facilities, municipalities, advocacy groups and others to support this collaborative approach designed to promote viable market solutions that can be scaled, and bring value to retailers and customers.

“The scale of the challenge is vast, with single-use plastic bags used widely across industries, sectors and geographies,” said Kate Daly, Managing Director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “Addressing a systemic waste challenge requires bringing stakeholders together to solve for a shared challenge. That’s why we’re thrilled to have Meijer join the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, alongside CVS Health, Target, Walmart, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Kroger, Hy-Vee and Walgreens. Together, we are thinking outside the box and collectively reinventing the retail bag, and we encourage other retailers to join us.”

Meijer has made significant strides in recent years regarding its commitment to sustainable practices and the reduction of plastic waste in our environment, said Erik Petrovskis, Director of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability for Meijer. For example:

  • In January 2020, Meijer opened its first small format store, Woodward Corner Market, without single-use plastic bags. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the use of reusable bags has been restricted with the exceptions of customers using the company’s Shop & Scan technology and at self-checkouts.
  • Since 2014, each Meijer store has placed collection bins inside its front entrance vestibules for customers to deposit clean, dry plastic bags and films, including single-use, bread, dry cleaning, produce and water softener bags. This year, Meijer expects to recycle 6 million pounds of plastic bags that are sent to its distribution centers for remanufacturing into decking.
  • In 2019, Meijer began adding a How2Recycle label on its own brand packaging to better help customers understand how to dispose of the materials. By 2022, the How2Recycle label will be on all True Goodness by Meijer packaging.
  • In 2019, Meijer set a goal that Meijer brand packaging will be made from 100 percent reusable, recyclable or compostable materials by 2025.

“Lessening our impact on the environment through increased recycling efforts is an issue that is important to us and our customers, and one that we are working diligently to address,” Petrovskis said. “I look forward to reviewing the innovative solutions that will stem from this collaboration.”

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 256 supercenters and grocery stores throughout MichiganOhioIndianaIllinoisKentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the “one-stop shopping” concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics. For additional information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.

About the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag

The Beyond the Bag Initiative, launched by the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, aims to identify, pilot and implement viable design solutions and models that more sustainably serve the purpose of the current retail bag. Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy launched the initiative with Founding Partners CVS Health, Target and Walmart. Kroger joined as Grocery Sector Lead Partner, DICK’S Sporting Goods as Sports & Outdoors Sector Lead Partner and Hy-Vee, Meijer, and Walgreens as Supporting Partners, alongside Conservation International and Ocean Conservancy as Environmental Advisory Partners. OpenIDEO is the Consortium’s Innovation Partner. Learn more about the Consortium here.

SOURCE Meijer

Related Links

www.meijer.com

Closed Loop Partners Publishes First-of-Its-Kind Report to Navigate Plastic Alternatives in a Circular Economy

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December 15, 2020

The report provides a guiding framework for innovators, brands and investors and calls for more research and rigorous testing to avoid unintended consequences

Read the full report

Dec 15 – Today, Closed Loop Partners released a report dispelling myths and demystifying the rapidly growing landscape of plastic alternatives, with a focus on bio-based plastics, biopolymers and compostable products and packaging. The report unpacks the opportunities and challenges within the industry’s move toward these alternative materials, considering sustainable sourcing of feedstocks and end-of-life recovery pathways that recapture their material value after use.

Currently, only 9% of the world’s plastic is recycled globally, while 11 million metric tons of plastic waste enters our oceans every year––costing people, the planet and business*. In response, consumers and regulators are increasingly pushing companies to align their products and packaging with waste reduction and climate impact goals. This pressure has led to companies making ambitious public commitments for implementing plastic-free products, eliminating non-recyclable formats and increasing the recycled content in their packaging. This, in turn, has spurred a rapid and, at times, haphazard shift away from petroleum-based, single-use plastics that are bound for landfill. 

As companies deploy strategies to reduce, reuse and recycle plastics in their products and packaging, many are exploring bio-based plastics, biopolymers and compostable alternatives such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and polylactic acid (PLA). If formulated in accordance with certification standards and captured properly after use, compostable packaging can contribute to net positive climate impacts by contributing to carbon sequestering, nutrient-rich compost and help increase diversion of food scraps from landfills. The promise of compostable packaging is resulting in rapid growth: the market for biopolymers and bio-based plastics is expected to reach nearly $27.9 billion by 2025, up from $10.5 billion in 2020, with over 2.8 million metric tons expected to be produced in 2025, up from 2.1 million metric tons in 2020**. 

However, compostable alternatives are not a silver bullet, and as they begin to enter the market at higher volumes, there is not enough recovery infrastructure to recapture their full value efficiently. Only about 185 full-scale commercial composting facilities in the United States accept food waste, and even fewer accept compostable-certified packaging. With new materials already outpacing the capacity of our existing recovery infrastructure, there is a critical need to address the misalignment between production and end-of-life to ensure even higher volumes of compostable packaging don’t end up in landfill in the future. Ultimately, biopolymers and compostable alternatives must sit within the broader context of a number of plastic waste mitigation strategies; they play a very specific role as one line of defense against waste––after reduction and reuse ––and should only be deployed in certain formats and contexts to drive value to organics processors. 

“This report does not seek to define one material as environmentally superior to another, but instead, dispels some myths around this growing sector of compostable packaging, laying the groundwork for informed decisions on when reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging might be most appropriate,” says Kate Daly, Head of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “We continue to research, explore, and test, and invite you to join us on our collective journey toward a circular economy that eliminates waste and builds sustainable, inclusive systems for all.”

Closed Loop Partners applies a holistic circular economy framework to the assessment of these new materials, based on the firm’s unique expertise garnered from their ecosystem of funds. Closed Loop Partners’ investment platform spans venture capital to private equity, and the Center for the Circular Economy specializes in convening brands and stakeholders to solve shared material challenges. 

* UN Environment. Beat Plastic PollutionBreaking the Plastic Wave: Top Findings for Preventing Plastic Pollution 

** Bioplastics & Biopolymers MarketMarket update 2020: Bioplastics continue to become mainstream as the global bioplastics market is set to grow by 36 percent over the next 5 years

About Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity and project finance, as well as an innovation center focused on building the circular economy. The firm has built an ecosystem that connects entrepreneurs, industry experts, global consumer goods and technology companies, retailers, foundations, financial institutions and municipalities. Their investments align capitalism with positive social and environmental impact by reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions via materials innovation, advanced recycling technologies, supply chain optimization and diversion of materials from landfills. Learn more at www.closedlooppartners.com.

 

JS Capital Management Acquires Minority Stake in Closed Loop Partners, the Leading Circular Economy Investment Firm & Innovation Center

By Closed Loop Partners

December 10, 2020

This investment further validates the business case for an accelerated transition to a circular economy and supports Closed Loop Partners in its continued expansion

Dec 10, New York — Today, Closed Loop Partners announced that JS Capital Management, the private investment firm led by Jonathan Soros, has acquired a minority stake in Closed Loop Partners, the New York-based investment firm and innovation center focused on building the circular economy. JS Capital’s investment expands the firm’s existing partnership with Closed Loop Partners. In 2018, JS Capital became a limited partner across Closed Loop Partners’ funds and an active co-investor.

Closed Loop Partners’ asset management division is comprised of venture capital, project finance, growth equity and private equity. To date, the firm has invested in over 40 companies across sectors, including consumer products and packaging, fashion, food and agriculture and technology. Investors in Closed Loop Partners’ funds include the world’s largest retailers, consumer goods and technology companies, financial institutions, family offices and foundations. Closed Loop Partners’ innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy, works across brands, countries and industries to create the systems change necessary for the advancement of the circular economy through research, analysis and collaboration.

According to Jonathan Soros, “Ron Gonen and Closed Loop Partners have been pioneers as investors and thought leaders in the circular economy. Their networks and expertise are unparalleled in the field.”

“With an exceptional investment track record and deep commitment to a sustainable future, JS Capital makes an ideal partner for the next chapter of our growth,” says Ron Gonen, Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners.

A circular economy offers a viable business framework to reduce costs, increase efficiency and protect the environment we share, benefiting people, the planet and business. At a time when climate change and sustainability are no longer top of mind for only waste-conscious consumers, but for investors, brands and governments across the globe, business as usual must change to avoid the economic, social and environmental risks of climate inaction.

About Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity and project finance, as well as an innovation center focused on building the circular economy. The firm has built an ecosystem that connects entrepreneurs, industry experts, global consumer goods and technology companies, retailers, foundations, financial institutions and municipalities. Their investments align capitalism with positive social and environmental impact by reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions via materials innovation, advanced recycling technologies, supply chain optimization and diversion of materials from landfills. Learn more at www.closedlooppartners.com.

Griin Raises $2M, Led by New York-Based Circular Economy Investor, Closed Loop Partners

By Ramat Gan, Israel (PRUnderground)

December 09, 2020

This investment round reflects the opportunity for circular solutions that increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and protect the environment. The investment will provide the Israeli startup additional resources to continue innovation on its patent-pending system that integrates autonomous, rapid, and smoke-free roasting at the point of consumption. This shift is instrumental in eliminating both unnecessary international transportation of coffee beans to centralized roasting facilities and eliminating multilaminate packaging required to artificially preserve the freshness of previously roasted coffee. Griin is now entering its pilot stage in Israeli corporate offices of the world’s tech giants.

Griin, a pioneer in on-demand zero-pollution roasting, today announced it has secured $2M in Seed Round investment, led by Closed Loop Ventures Group, the early-stage investment arm of Closed Loop Partners. Griin’s countertop roasting solution is poised to change the commerce of coffee by bringing green coffee beans directly to the forefront of the trade and into the hands of the consumer, focusing on the workplace coffee segment. Doing so eliminates unnecessary international transportation of coffee beans to centralized roasting facilities and the multilaminate packaging required to artificially preserve the freshness of previously roasted coffee On demand roasting offers an elevated experience with a better quality for the most sustainable cup of coffee.

The investment by Closed Loop Partners, a leading circular economy-focused investment firm will enable the company to complete the initial rollout of the company’s roasting add-on appliance which fits on top of any bean-to-cup coffee machine. Griin’s appliance is powered by state-of-the-art proprietary volumetric roasting technology and orchestrated by deep-learning algorithms, ensuring a clean, rapid, and eco friendly solution. The compact desktop roaster is complemented by a supply of specialty coffee secured via griin’s direct sourcing operation.

“We are thrilled to partner with Closed Loop Partners for their resources, guidance, and many years in promoting the shift to a circular economy with their leading corporate partners including Starbucks, Nestlé and others. This funding round will allow us to release our first product to market in the enterprise high-tech market segment,” said griin CEO, Yuval Weisglass.

The office coffee market has seen incredible growth over the past five years. Vending Market Watch estimates a CAGR of 5.46% bringing the market to a whopping $19.31B by 2024. High-end bean-to-cup solutions comprise 50% of weight sales, while contributing to ~80% of the revenues. Griin is leading the on-demand roasting revolution alongside growing market demand for higher quality and sustainable office coffee solutions.

“Griin’s technology has immense potential for impact by vertically integrating the coffee roasting process at the point of consumption. Today, coffee supply chains are overly complex and inefficient, with a lot of landfill-bound packaging, culminating in high costs and a lower quality product for end-consumers,” says Ron Gonen, CEO of Closed Loop Partners. “Griin’s economy of green coffee beans increases efficiencies and streamlines processes, creating a higher quality, fresher product, while eliminating waste.”

Griin plans to continue to work on R&D projects and pilots with enterprise high-tech companies and will expand its market to additional territories, including US, Europe, and Australia.

About griin

griin is a deep-tech startup pioneering an innovative coffee roasting solution. griin’s proprietary, patent-pending technology uses volumetric heating to roast green coffee beans, enabling an optimal technique for non-industrial coffee roasting with the highest quality of fresh coffee for consumers.

At scale, this solution has the potential to decentralize the coffee supply chain, leading to a more balanced profit share for coffee producers and resellers, while dramatically improving various aspects of sustainability. The Israel based company was founded by three experienced entrepreneurs with the vision of disrupting the coffee market by providing an innovative roasting solution, focusing initially on the office/workplace segment. Learn more at https://www.griin.tech.

About Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity, project finance, and an innovation center focused on building the circular economy. Investors include many of the world’s largest consumer goods companies and family offices interested in investments that provide strong financial returns and tangible social impact. Learn more at www.closedlooppartners.com.

NextGen Consortium Joins the Polypropylene Recycling Coalition to Further Drive the Recovery of Plastic Packaging in the U.S.

By Closed Loop Partners

December 08, 2020

NextGen Consortium brings its collective strength and insights to the Coalition’s Steering Committee to create stronger markets for recycled polypropylene

Dec 8 — Today, the NextGen Consortium, led by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy, with Founding Partners Starbucks and McDonald’s, joined the Polypropylene Recycling Coalition as part of the Consortium’s multi-pronged approach to address single-use food packaging waste globally.

Building on the NextGen Consortium’s existing work to advance the design, commercialization and recovery of packaging alternatives — from new materials and recovery strategies to reusable packaging systems that keep materials in use for as long as possible — the Consortium will work with Coalition members to help increase recovery capacity for polypropylene in the United States. Polypropylene is typically found in everyday packaging such as the cup used for iced drinks on-the-go, yogurt cups and coffee pods, among other applications. However, in many markets, polypropylene is not accepted in residential recycling programs and ends up in landfills. According to The Recycling Partnership’s 2020 State of Curbside Recycling report, there may be as much as 1.6 billion pounds of polypropylene available per year from single-family homes that could be recycled into new products.

“Joining the Polypropylene Recycling Coalition was a natural continuation of the work we are doing across different packaging formats, systems and materials to improve the overall recovery of food packaging,” says Kate Daly, Managing Director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “Alongside packaging design innovation, such as growing tech-enabled reusable packaging models, capturing existing plastic packaging waste is critical for building a more sustainable future. Unrecovered polypropylene in landfills represents an untapped and wasted resource that could be recirculated in the economy, bringing value to numerous stakeholders.”

The Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, established by The Recycling Partnership,  unites the industry around improving polypropylene recovery in the U.S. and further developing markets for high-quality recycled polypropylene. Today, the Coalition announced nearly $2 million in grant dollars to upgrade and improve the sorting equipment at recycling facilities and support consumer education programs to advance polypropylene recycling. The Coalition’s investments will widen the total nationwide acceptance of polypropylene in curbside recycling programs to an additional four million people, resulting in the recovery of a larger supply of polypropylene that could be made into new products.

As the NextGen Consortium continues its work across the value chain – with brands, municipalities, material recovery facilities and manufacturers – to advance viable sustainable packaging solutions that can scale throughout the global supply chain and bring value to recovery systems, working with the Polypropylene Coalition will help further our collective impact at scale.

 

About NextGen Consortium

The NextGen Consortium is a multi-year, global consortium that addresses single-use food packaging waste globally by advancing the design, commercialization, and recovery of food packaging alternatives. The NextGen Consortium is managed by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy. Starbucks and McDonald’s are the founding partners of the Consortium, The Coca-Cola Company, Yum! Brands, Nestlé, and Wendy’s are supporting partners. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is the advisory partner and IDEO is the innovation partner. Learn more at www.nextgenconsortium.com.

About The Recycling Partnership

The Recycling Partnership is a national nonprofit organization that leverages corporate partner funding to transform recycling for good in states, cities, and communities nationwide. As the leading organization in the country that engages the full recycling supply chain from the corporations that manufacture products and packaging to local governments charged with recycling to industry end markets, haulers, material recovery facilities, and converters, The Recycling Partnership positively impacts recycling at every step in the process. Since 2014, the nonprofit change agent diverted 230 million pounds of new recyclables from landfills, saved 465 million gallons of water, avoided more than 250,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases, and drove significant reductions in targeted contamination rates. Learn more at recyclingpartnership.org.

Closed Loop Partners Helps Bridge Funding Gaps for GrowNYC to Continue Composting Services, Recovering New Yorkers’ Valuable Food Scraps

By Closed Loop Partners

November 18, 2020

November 19, New York — Closed Loop Partners recently provided GrowNYC a grant that will fund operations of three compost collection sites in New York City, bridging gaps in funding left by recent City budget cuts caused by COVID-19. The demand for composting services from New Yorkers has grown significantly in the last few years. However, this year’s unforeseen events have resulted in reductions in publicly-funded organics collection services. Closed Loop Partners has teamed up with GrowNYC to help reopen food scrap drop-off sites that will divert thousands of tons of food waste from landfills, creating valuable, nutrient-rich compost for local communities.  

The three food scrap drop-off sites funded by Closed Loop Partners re-opened in October, and are already attracting over 1,000 regular weekly participants and collecting over 7,000 pounds of food scraps each week. Located at GrowNYC’s 79th Street, Abingdon Square and Tribeca Greenmarket farmers markets, these sites offer convenient composting opportunities to Manhattan residents, from downtown to the Upper West Side. Together, these sites collected over 33,000 pounds of food scraps in just one month, with greenhouse gas emission reductions equivalent to conserving 1,435 gallons of gasoline (EPA WARM). As the holidays approach, typically bringing with them substantially higher rates of at-home cooking and associated food scraps, GrowNYC aims to secure additional funding that will allow them to resume operations across all 76 of their original food scrap drop-off sites, helping make composting accessible to all New Yorkers.

“By collecting food scraps from across the city and diverting them from landfills that are costly to taxpayers, we can realize remarkable economic and environmental benefits,” says Ron Gonen, CEO of Closed Loop Partners. “As the city continues to build circularity into their systems, GrowNYC plays a critical role in recapturing valuable materials like food scraps, and we’re proud to partner with them.”

GrowNYC is one of the most established environmental organizations in New York City, engaging over three million New Yorkers every year in environmental programs that improve the city’s quality of life. Supported by recently restored funding from Speaker Corey Johnson and the New York City Council, New York City Sanitation Department (DSNY), Closed Loop Partners and City Council Member Keith Powers, the organization recently reopened 16 of their 76 food scrap drop-off sites across Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens––showcasing public and private sector collaboration toward a more circular economy. All food scraps collected by GrowNYC are composted locally, in partnership with NYC Compost Project host sites and other community partners, including Big Reuse in Brooklyn and Queens, Earth Matter on Governors Island, the Lower East Side Ecology Center in Manhattan and Queens Botanical Garden.

“We are immensely grateful to Closed Loop Partners for their generous support, allowing us to bring back more food scrap collection sites in NYC, following COVID-related budget cuts earlier this year that brought our compost program to a standstill,” said GrowNYC President and CEO, Marcel Van Ooyen. “At GrowNYC, we work to make living an environmentally conscious lifestyle in the City second nature––something that, particularly right now, would not be possible for many New Yorkers, without help from partners like Closed Loop Partners, as well as the leadership of Speaker Corey Johnson and the City Council.”

In New York City alone, over 30% of the residential waste stream is made up of compostable organic waste, including food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard waste, which too often end up rotting in landfills, emitting greenhouse gases and contributing to climate change. On a macro level, roughly one third of the food produced for human consumption every year––approximately 1.3 billion tons––gets lost or wasted, costing industrialized countries roughly $680 billion in economic value. Thus, it’s critical that we recapture the value of food scraps, bringing value to communities, the planet and business. Especially at this critical moment, as we face the impacts of climate change in addition to the effects of a global pandemic, it is of the utmost importance that we come together to support invaluable services––especially those that build more resilient supply chains and communities.

For more information on GrowNYC’s compost collection sites, the types of materials you can drop off and ways you can support the organization, visit GrowNYC.org.

For information on food scrap drop-off locations citywide, visit nyc.gov/dropfoodscraps.

 

About Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity and project finance, as well as an innovation center focused on building the circular economy.

The firm has built an ecosystem that connects entrepreneurs, industry experts, global consumer goods companies, retailers, financial institutions and municipalities. Their investments align capitalism with positive social and environmental impact by reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions via materials innovation, advanced recycling technologies, supply chain optimization and diversion of materials from disposal.

About GrowNYC

GrowNYC was originally created in 1970 as the Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC). Born out of the spirit of the first Earth Day, CENYC was initially a policy-based organization, writing comprehensive reports about quality of life issues like air quality, traffic and noise. New York City has changed a lot since then and so has the organization. As the largest and most established environmental organization in NYC, GrowNYC is proud to have played a pivotal role in helping New York City transform over the past five decades. Today, three million New Yorkers each year participate in GrowNYC programs.

Ann Arbor Selected for Major Investment to Reopen Recycling Facility Under Beverage Industry’s Every Bottle Back Initiative

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America’s leading beverage companies & Closed Loop Partners invest $800,000 to reopen, rebuild and modernize Ann Arbor’s Materials Recovery Facility joining Michigan leaders & other partners to invest millions collectively on project

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The American Beverage Association (ABA) announced today, during America Recycles Week, that Recycle Ann Arbor (RAA) has been selected to receive an investment under its Every Bottle Back initiative, a sustained effort to reduce our industry’s use of new plastic and keep our bottles out of the environment.  The investment in Ann Arbor will help rebuild and reopen the city’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), which has been closed since 2016, preventing recyclable materials from being diverted across state lines for processing.  The targeted investment of $800,000, deployed in partnership with Closed Loop Partners, will help create a state-of-the-art materials recovery facility that allows for enhanced sorting of valuable recyclable materials, like the beverage industry’s 100% recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles.  The project also leverages capital from additional stakeholders, including $800,000 from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), fostering groundbreaking public-private partnerships to recover valuable local recyclables to keep in manufacturing supply chains.

“Our investment in Ann Arbor will help restore the region’s critical recycling infrastructure, create jobs and showcase effective strategies to build a more circular economy,” said Katherine Lugar, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the American Beverage Association.  “This exciting new project is one in a series of investments the beverage industry is making alongside our environmental partners and community leaders under the Every Bottle Back initiative to boost the collection of our 100% recyclable bottles and cans so they can be remade, as intended.”

Every Bottle Back is an integrated and comprehensive initiative by The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo to reduce the industry’s plastic footprint.  The investment in Ann Arbor is the fourth of eleven initial projects that the beverage industry has committed funding for under Every Bottle Back to ensure our bottles are collected and remade and do not wind up in beaches or lakes or wasted in landfills.

“Rebuilding Ann Arbor’s Materials Recovery Facility with modernized, state-of-the-art equipment will boost efficiency, increase recycling rates and help keep our valuable fully recyclable PET bottles in-state to help sustain local recycling systems,” said Derek Bajema, president and CEO of Michigan Soft Drink Association.  “We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to working with all those who share our goal of improving our state’s collection system so that it captures more recyclable materials.”

The American Beverage Association is partnering with Closed Loop Partners, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and Recycle Ann Arbor on the project, which will help equip Ann Arbor’s MRF with upgraded equipment and infrastructure to sort, clean and bale recyclable materials.  The investment will allow more valuable recyclable materials to be efficiently captured via curbside, yielding an estimated 284 million new pounds of materials collected over 10 years – including 7 million pounds of PET and 740,000 pounds of aluminum.  The investment will provide the City of Ann Arbor with local capacity to more effectively manage their recyclables toward a circular economy that eliminates waste, creates jobs and protects the environment.

“The rebuild of Ann Arbor’s materials recovery facility comes at a critical moment for recycling infrastructure in the United States, amidst a global pandemic that has disrupted supply chains and highlighted the need to keep valuable recycled materials in circulation in local manufacturing supply chains,” said Ron Gonen, CEO of Closed Loop Partners, an investment firm focused on the development of the circular economy.  “Together, the American Beverage Association, Closed Loop Partners, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and Recycle Ann Arbor have pooled key resources to bring this project to fruition, underscoring the importance of working across the public and private sectors to score a victory for future generations.”

“We are pleased to see our Recycling Infrastructure Grant of $800,000 leverage industry financial support for the exciting regional recycling solutions that RAA and others across the state are helping to make happen,” said Liz Browne, acting director of the Materials Management Division at EGLE.

“Local processing of recyclables brings a range of environmental, economic, and social benefits, creating a regional hub that will allow recycling to flourish,” says Bryan Ukena, CEO of Recycle Ann Arbor.  “Recycle Ann Arbor’s project to rebuild the materials recovery facility in the area establishes an amazing partnership with the community, local banks, industry funders, government agencies, non-profits, and manufacturers.  Recycle Ann Arbor looks forward to bringing its 42 years of experience as a mission-based community recycler to the collaboration.”