Bocoloco provides retailers with a solution for collecting food packaging.
Let's break down what convinced us to invest in this company founded by Alexis Dusanter and his brother Florent.
The announced end of single-use packaging
A regulatory environment favoring reuse
The single-use packaging market is being targeted by public authorities, with growing regulatory pressure on retailers and manufacturers (see the AGEC laws—particularly the 3R decree—and the Climate & Resilience law). This regulation sets out the following requirements:
On the distributor side
20% reduction in single-use plastic packaging by 202520% of retail floor space dedicated to packaging-free products by 2030
On the industrial side
5% of reusable packaging placed on the market in 2023 (10% in 2027)
This regulation provides incentives but remains largely non-binding at this stage.
We believe (and this is a good thing!) that public authorities will gradually tighten regulatory requirements and introduce incentives similar to those that exist for automobiles or building energy retrofits.
Bocoloco has all the cards in hand to influence future regulations through its connections in industry networks (Réseau Vrac, Réseau Consigne) and its work raising awareness among political decision-makers.
The French are calling for a reduction in packaging
According to ADEME, 89% of French consumers want brands to reduce plastic packaging.
The leading zero-waste solution today is bulk retail.
After strong growth in recent years, the bulk retail market has stagnated (source) at around €1.3 billion in revenue in 2021 (out of €243 billion spent on food in 2018, INSEE source).
Why?
Bulk retail is costly to maintain for stores (food moths, shelf upkeep).
Consumers are held back by hygiene concerns—even more so post-Covid—and by the lack of product information once purchased (what is it? What's the expiration date?).
Bulk retail is therefore doomed to stagnate, and deposit return systems will become the only alternative capable of scaling to reduce packaging. This is confirmed by the Merchandising Project Manager at a major retail brand:
"Regulation is certainly one of our motivations, but these laws stem from citizen demand—and it's primarily the needs expressed by our clients that drive us forward on reusable packaging."
Bocoloco delivers an optimal customer experience for all stakeholders
A turnkey solution for retail chains
Bocoloco provides retail chains with an ultra-simple, end-to-end system:
Standardized reusable containers featuring partner brands' branding. These containers include a QR code that allows consumers to access detailed product information (ingredients, expiration date, etc.).
A modular display unit dedicated to deposit containers where consumers can find their products and return their used jars. The technology identifies the QR codes on returned containers and instantly generates a discount voucher that consumers can redeem at checkout, refunding the deposit amount paid at the time of purchase.
Bocoloco's technology requires no integration with retailers' IT systems, and doesn't require consumers to download a mobile app.
It is currently the only player in the reusable packaging space to offer such a system.
The QR code ensures traceability of each container throughout the supply chain.
This is how Bocoloco can automate:
The triggering of container collection in-store: Bocoloco is notified as soon as the collector is about to reach capacity; The transport of containers in batches to distributor warehouses, then to washing facilities. Creating storage, washing, and transport batches ensures optimized reuse costs.
Benefits for all stakeholders
The Bocoloco solution delivers benefits to all stakeholders: consumers, brands, and retailers.
The customers: an ultra-smooth process
For customers, the benefits are numerous. With Bocoloco, they:
benefit from a deposit product at the same price as its single-use packaging equivalent, with the container cost advanced upfront and refunded through an ultra-seamless process
- can choose deposit-packaged products during their regular shopping, and simply pay a deposit on the reusable container at the standard checkout.
- can return their unwashed containers and insert them directly into the collector without going through the store staff.
The retailer: cost control and operational simplicity
The retailer dedicates the space of their choice to the shelf meters for returnable products.
Bocoloco organizes the collection system in sync with the retailer's logistics. Thanks to container traceability, Bocoloco is the only player able to offer collection that seamlessly integrates into retailers' standard supply chain processes. Finally, costs are kept under control (unlike bulk systems), and the system can even generate additional revenue from unreturned containers.
The brand
Container traceability enables a more efficient supply chain, and therefore minimal reuse costs.
Bocoloco offers brands two container options:
standard containers: this guarantees the brand faster, lower-cost washing, as they're integrated into shared washing batches. The cost of implementing the deposit system is reduced to the bare minimum. A container unique to the brand: Bocoloco is currently in discussions with several major brands weighing whether to keep their distinctive, highly recognizable containers despite higher reuse costs.
Bocoloco, thanks to container traceability, maintains batch-based organization and optimal washing and transport costs in this context as well.
The positive impact is proven
Deposit systems help reduce plastic waste that pollutes soil, water and air, and takes thousands of years to decompose. Bocoloco was born from a need felt by the two brothers who founded the company: unable to make bulk shopping work (too constraining, incompatible with their family lives), they set out to find a simple solution.
Bocoloco's mission is to drastically reduce the 70 kg of plastic waste that each French person generates on average. Measuring impact: Bocoloco's infrastructure quantifies, for each product sold, the packaging weight avoided compared to equivalent consumer goods packaging.
In the execution of Bocoloco's model, environmental challenges exist at several levels:
The return of deposit containers in stores is at the heart of the model
The return rate for Bocoloco containers exceeds 60% (up to 80% for certain products), and continues to increase through awareness initiatives;
The design of containers that must enable the maximum number of reuse cycles
15 today, but over 50 ultimately: material type and thickness, label adhesive suitable for washing, etc.
Maintaining a maximum distance of 300 km between the container collection point and the washing center,
This helps limit carbon emissions linked to transportation.
Bocoloco has a regional deployment strategy (Île-de-France and Rhône-Alpes first), working with local partners (territorial coverage through washing centers) and prioritizing carbon-neutral transportation.
High-performance industrial washing
Bocoloco works in partnership with industrial washing facilities specialized in primary container cleaning.
They comply with strict quality and environmental standards. They reuse over 70% of the water consumed—a single liter of water can be used up to 300 times.
For all these reasons, we are pleased to have brought together 40 renowned investors alongside Asterion to enable Bocoloco to finance collectors, containers, and accelerate its commercial development.
Also check out the article Maddyness dedicated to this round.