Hempel is a global supplier of paints and coatings for the decorative, marine, energy and infrastructure markets. It operates in more than 100 countries with 26 factories and in excess of 7500 staff globally. 

Challenge Summary:

We are looking for a solution provider to develop a robust and well-designed take-back system for paint packaging that ensures it is collected/returned separately, cleaned, and directly reused (or, if it can no longer be reused, recycled into new paint packaging). This has the potential to dramatically change the economics and environmental impact of paint packaging, turn the industry around, reduce plastic pollution from paint packaging by more than 50%, and even help address the problem of paint waste.

We are looking for a solution that:

• Enables targeted optimizations in the design of existing paint packaging to balance reusability and recyclability,
• Involves a digital reverse logistics system that allows packaging to be tracked throughout the supply chain (from consumer to packaging supplier),
• Engages quality control procedures and preparation for reuse or recycling; and
• Suggests a business model that makes sense for all stakeholders in the ecosystem and provides appropriate incentives.

The development of such a solution would require close collaboration in the value chain between different actors such as a paint manufacturer, a retailer, the end users (DIY, professional), a recycler and/or refurbisher, and a packaging manufacturer. It would also require a high level of behavioural change in the sense that some of the stakeholders (e.g., retailers and consumers) should learn to accept reused packaging (i.e., packaging that does not look like new).