Before choosing a reusable packaging solution, it is necessary to identify the flow on which it will have the greatest chance of working. That is the whole purpose of the first phase of Loopipak’s support programme.
Reducing single-use packaging has become a priority for many companies. The willingness is there: to limit waste, improve the environmental impact of operations, meet customer expectations, anticipate the evolution of practices and better control certain costs linked to consumables.
Yet, when it comes time to take action, one question often comes up: where should we start?
Should an existing packaging be replaced with a reusable alternative? Should a new container be tested on a line? Should returns be rethought? Should the focus be on a customer, a site, a route, a product typology?
At Loopipak, we believe that the success of a reusable project does not start with the choice of a packaging solution. It starts with identifying the right logistics flow.
That is precisely the purpose of phase 1 of our support programme: to understand operational realities, identify the most relevant flow to address as a priority, and then lay the foundations for an effective, realistic and integrable reusable solution.
This step helps avoid a frequent mistake: wanting to roll out too quickly a solution that looks attractive on paper, but is difficult to keep alive in day-to-day operations. By choosing the right starting point, the company increases its chances of success, reduces operational risks and builds a progressive approach toward reusable packaging.
Why choosing the flow is a decisive step
Reusable packaging does not work like a simple substitution between a disposable packaging and a more sustainable packaging. It implies a system logic: use, collection, return, storage, possible cleaning, reintroduction into circulation, tracking, acceptance by teams and sometimes by customers.
That is why not all flows present the same potential at the same time.
Some are naturally better suited to start with: regular volumes, controlled logistics loops, possible returns, clearly identified actors, reasonable handling constraints, sufficiently short rotation time or an already structured organisation. Others require more preparation or do not constitute the best entry point.
Wanting to move too quickly toward a solution without understanding the field can generate unnecessary friction: poorly sized packaging, overly complex returns, insufficient storage, hidden extra costs, low adoption by teams or difficulty measuring results.
Conversely, believing that a reusable packaging solution alone is enough to make a reuse system work means underestimating the operational dimension of the subject.
Phase 1 therefore serves to ask the right questions before committing time, budget and teams to a pilot. Not to slow the project down, but to avoid building a solution on fragile assumptions.
It makes it possible to transform an sometimes general intention — “we want to switch to reusable packaging” — into a concrete decision-making basis: which flow to address, with which solution, under which conditions, with which points of attention and which success criteria.
What Loopipak analyses during phase 1
The Loopipak method is part of a progressive three-step approach: understand the flow, test the system, then deploy and optimise. Phase 1 corresponds to the first step: diagnosis and design.
Its objective is to identify a priority logistics flow and define the reusable packaging system best suited to the company’s real constraints.
This analysis is not limited to observing the existing packaging. It takes into account the entire environment in which this packaging circulates.
Loopipak first looks at the packaging currently used: its formats, its uses, its limits, its lifespan, its cost, the waste generated and the irritants it may create for the teams.
The analysis also covers volumes, shipping frequencies, activity peaks, seasonal variations or constraints linked to certain product categories. These elements make it possible to distinguish genuinely relevant flows from those that seem interesting at first, but would be more complex to transform.
Logistics dimensions are also essential. A reusable flow must be able to integrate into storage, preparation, handling, transport and return operations.
A packaging solution may be technically relevant, but become difficult to manage if it takes up too much space, if it slows down an operation, if it complicates a route or if it has no clear return path.
Loopipak also examines the organisation of internal and external flows: who handles the packaging, at what moment, on which site, with which equipment, under which conditions and with which responsibilities.
This understanding of the field is essential to design a solution that does not remain theoretical. Reusable packaging must integrate into existing gestures as much as possible, otherwise it risks being perceived as an additional constraint.
Finally, phase 1 integrates an economic reading. The costs linked to packaging are not limited to the purchase price. They also include waste management, losses, handling, storage, possible shortages, additional operations or logistics inefficiencies.
This global vision makes it possible to assess reusable packaging more accurately and identify the flows on which the transition can create the most value.
From analysis to recommendation: building a suitable solution
Once the priority flow has been identified, the challenge is to define the most relevant type of solution. This is where Loopipak differs from an approach centred solely on supplying packaging.
In some cases, a standard solution may be enough. If the flow is relatively simple, the constraints are well controlled and the needs are close to already proven cases, it is often more efficient to rely on an existing solution. This makes it possible to move faster, limit development costs and facilitate a future operational test.
In other situations, the constraints require a more specific response. Particular dimensions, protection requirements, transport conditions, return constraints, customer experience, handling requirements, need for identification or integration into an existing process: all these elements may make a tailor-made solution necessary.
The objective is never to make the project more complex. It is to propose the right level of response.
An effective reusable solution is a solution that integrates into processes with a minimum of friction. It must serve environmental objectives, but also respect the company’s operational and economic realities.
The recommendation resulting from this phase is therefore not limited to a packaging format. It opens up reflection on the system to be put in place: conditions of use, return logic, first organisational assumptions, points of attention for the teams, indicators to monitor and conditions necessary for a reliable test.
This recommendation becomes a concrete working basis for deciding what comes next. It makes it possible to know whether the project is ready to move into the testing phase, whether it requires a prior adjustment or whether it would be better to start with another, more accessible flow.
What the company obtains at the end of this phase
At the end of phase 1, the company does not yet have a full deployment. And that is deliberate.
The aim is not to generalise too early, but to create a solid basis for deciding on the right pilot project.
This first step brings a clear and shared vision of the priority flow to be addressed. It makes it possible to identify the structuring constraints, the opportunities, the points of attention and the conditions for success.
It also gives an initial direction on the most suitable reusable packaging solution: standard or tailor-made, simple or more specific, immediately testable or requiring adjustments.
Concretely, the company comes out of this phase with:
a better understanding of the logistics flow to address as a priority;
a recommendation for a solution consistent with its operational constraints;
an initial projection of the return organisation and field implications;
an identification of the points of attention before the pilot;
a reliable basis for deciding on a pilot, without prematurely committing to a broad deployment.
This clarification has strategic value. It enables teams to move out of uncertainty, align stakeholders and make a calmer decision.
It also avoids mobilising time and resources on a flow that would not be the most relevant one to start with.
In summary, phase 1 makes it possible to move from a general ambition to a realistic action plan.
Moving forward with method, without unnecessarily disrupting operations
Switching to reusable packaging is a concrete ambition, but it requires method. Companies do not need a generic solution imposed on their operations. They need support capable of understanding their flows, their constraints and their objectives, then translating that understanding into an operational system.
That is the whole role of phase 1 of the Loopipak support programme.
It makes it possible to lay the right foundations before testing and then deploying. It secures the starting point, reduces the risk of error and gives the project a clear direction.
By helping companies identify the right flow and design a suitable solution, Loopipak acts as an operational transition partner, not only as a packaging supplier.
Our approach takes into account the field, the teams, the logistics constraints and the economic objectives, to make reusable packaging a realistic, progressive and sustainable approach.
The right packaging is not always enough. The right flow, the right use and the right organisation are just as decisive.
Conclusion
Phase 1 of the Loopipak support programme answers an essential question: where should we start in order to switch to reusable packaging without weakening operations?
By identifying the most relevant flow, this step makes it possible to build a realistic project from the start. It helps avoid the wrong entry points, anticipate constraints and design a solution adapted to the field.
For a company, it is a concrete way to reduce uncertainty before launching a pilot. Rather than choosing a packaging solution and hoping it will adapt to operations, Loopipak starts from existing flows to build a solution that can truly work.
This progressive approach is often the best way to engage the transition toward reusable packaging: start with the right flow, test in real conditions, learn, adjust, then broaden the scope.
Do you want to reduce your single-use packaging, but do not yet know which flow to address as a priority? Loopipak supports you in analysing your operations, identifying the best starting point and laying the foundations for a realistic reusable project.
Phase 1 of the Loopipak support programme is offered as a framed operational diagnosis. Its scope is defined upstream with the company, depending on the number of flows to analyse, the sites concerned, the logistics complexity and the expected level of recommendation. This approach makes it possible to move forward within a clear framework, before committing to a pilot or a tailor-made development.
Ready to find the right lead to get started?
Let’s discuss your operations and work together to identify the first opportunity to capitalise on.
Contact Us
+32 470/876.641
Loopipak Support — Step 1: identifying the flows where reusable packaging creates the most value