Ending plastic packaging through reuse and the circular economy is the essence of the online supermarket Re-Pot. The project, which was born in 2021 in Barcelona as an alternative for all those consumers tired of the excess packaging found in traditional supermarkets, wants to reach Madrid by the end of 2022.
For this, it will be necessary to find the right suppliers, both for the products and for logistics, since Re-Pot reaches homes through delivery in electric vehicles. "We will also have to open a distribution hub," explains Alejandro Roset, co-founder of Re-Pot. Roset specifies that growth will be addressed with a new financing round of a figure close to 300,000 euros, planned for the fourth quarter of 2022.
Meanwhile, with the 120,000 euros obtained in a first round last November, the startup will grow beyond the initial limits of Barcelona and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat towards other municipalities in the metropolitan area such as Sant Just Desvern, Badalona or Sant Adrià de Besòs. For the moment, it has already incorporated the Sant Cugat area, where it serves orders with the delivery service of Koiki, a sustainable company that employs groups at risk of social exclusion. For Barcelona and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Re-Pot works with Revoolt, a startup specialized in sustainable last-mile delivery.
It has already incorporated the Sant Cugat area, where it serves orders with Koiki's delivery service, while for Barcelona and L'Hospitalet, Re-Pot works with Revoolt.The financing round raised in November has also served to expand the product catalog to just over 300 current references, opening new categories such asthe elaborated products, for companion animals and, starting in February, "we will serve fruits and vegetables" of zero kilometer and seasonal, explains Alejandro Roset. These product lines have been added to those already initially marketed with food, beverages, cleaning, and personal hygiene items.
The main challenge Re-Pot faces is having "suppliers who prioritize sustainability and the circular economy." "This also implies supplying the product differently ---insists Roset--- and incorporating the reuse of packaging." A more complex option even when it comes to processed foods because the supplier must add a packaging washing phase to their production lines with the technology that allows its reuse. This is "a change of mindset" that, for example, Conca Orgànics has just made to supply Re-Pot with organic, vegan, and plastic-free foods, such as infusions, vegetable pâtés, sauces, chocolates, or spring salts.
Re-Pot's suppliers ---in addition to Conca Orgànics--- include IOIO, Palombella, and RRR Biocosmetics, for cosmetics; Veggie Maai, who make cakes without animal products; Ismax, for eco-recycled paper products; La Retornable, which produces organic plant-based drinks in returnable glass containers, and CleanUp BIO, for home cleaning and personal hygiene.
With the work of all of them, along with customers, Re-Pot has contributed since its launch last April to saving more than 12,900 plastic bottles and almost 850 kg of waste. In addition, thanks to deliveries being made with electric vehicles, the carbon footprint disappears, and more than 350 kg of CO2 have been saved.
Re-Pot was born during a trip to Vietnam, when Alejandro Roset and the company's co-founders Javier Maella and Tirsà Sánchez realized they couldn't swim on one of the Asian country's beaches due to the enormous amount of plastic floating in those waters. The solution was to create a 100% sustainable supermarket that allows customers to be environmentally friendly without leaving home and without giving up their usual shopping products, as all containers are returned once the product is consumed, to facilitate their reuse for future orders.
The startup was born during a trip to Vietnam, when its founders realized they couldn't swim on one of the Asian country's beaches due to the enormous amount of plastic floating thereFor this reason, Re-Pot has facilities near Plaza Molina, in Barcelona, where there isadvanced machinery installed for washing containers at over 80 degrees"Facilities that, if growth expectations are met, will have to be moved to a larger space to expand the washing area" and also the packaging area, since Re-Pot buys some products wholesale and packages them under its own Re-Pot brand. The current staff is six people.
As the number of products expands, "because the customer must be able to buy any item at Re-Pot as they do in other supermarkets," and the number of towns to supply, "we will be able to achieve more economies of scale and adjust sales prices, although, for now, our products are only 10% more expensive," says Roset. The co-founder of this startup argues that "there are more and more consumers willing to pay a little more if it's for sustainable and circular economy products." With sales made in 2021, Re-Pot has invoiced around 35,000 euros, a figure it expects to multiply by ten in two years.