LESS™ works to prevent waste with reuse solutions that eliminate the need for single use plastic
Our work spans implementation of reuse solutions in different countries, as well as advisory and philanthropic support
CIRCULARITY CONSULTANTS
LESS is uniquely placed to help brands and companies assess and navigate reuse systems:
- We’ve worked closely with consumers and brands to develop viable reuse concepts for very different markets
- We’ve designed and implemented innovative reuse solutions in the UK, India and Vietnam
- We’ve conducted detailed analysis of reuse solutions, including scalability, product integrity, logistics and financial viability
Contact us to discuss ways we can help
REUSE IN RURAL INDIA
LESS supports REUSE Foundation’s mission to demonstrate reuse can work at scale in rural India, and among low-income communities more widely
In addition to financial support, LESS provides operational assistance and technical expertise
If successful, this would be the first time reuse has been demonstrated at scale with low-income communities
Learn more and provide support here
TESTING REUSE IN VIETNAM
LESS was selected by IPPIN (Indo-Pacific Plastic Innovation Network) for its Incubator and Accelerator programmes to test reuse solutions for small format packaging in Vietnam
LESS also secured a A$100,000 IPPIN grant and partnered with UTS, ICED and GreenU to conduct in-country research and pilot alternative reuse solutions
GLOBAL BUSINESS INNOVATION PROGRAMME IN INDIA
Innovate UK identified the LESS project in India as one of the best ways to prevent plastic waste in the country, and selected LESS to participate in its 2024 Global Business Innovation Programme
John Marchant from LESS was among the participants who toured India, meeting with Members of Parliament, State leaders and policy makers, as well as top innovators to identify and secure partners for future circular solution projects in India
REIMAGINING THE MILKROUND
LESS won WRAP’s prestigious UK Circular Plastics Flagship Competition to test a reimagination of the traditional milk round for personal care and household products, delivering product in reusable bottles, collecting empties for washing and reuse
LESS implemented the solution in London and parts of the Southeast using electric vans and tested the viability of doorstep delivery service where brands shared some refill assets and infrastructure
SMART SUSTAINABLE PLASTIC PACKAGING WINNER
LESS won Innovate UK’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging challenge to design packaging optimised for reuse
Working closely with closely with materials and design specialists, LESS developed a series of packaging concepts, some of which were selected for in-market pilot testing
REFILLING AT HOME
Refilling at home is one of the easiest ways to prevent plastic waste
Instead of throwing away a plastic bottle each time it’s empty, you simply refill it from bulk containers of the same product
Refillers can easily prevent 60-90% of plastic waste for a given product
LESS set up and launched a national refill at home service that successfully operated for four years
Although it was viable, we closed it late 2025 to focus on issues and larger opportunities that we felt weren’t being addressed
SILVERTOWN
Our first reuse facility was in Silvertown, London
We approached established brands to test the viability of reuse models. When they refused to collaborate, we created our own brand, Silvertown!
Over the years it built an enthusiastic following, and this quality hand care product is soon to have a second life on its own dedicated site and be used in promotional campaigns to seed reuse behaviours
BEAT THE SACHET IN INDIA
LESS funded and led an effort to develop a reuse alternative to single-use plastic sachets in India
Sachets are amongst the most damaging forms of plastic packaging and a primary cause of ocean microplastic
Beat The Sachet ran for nearly two years and was very successful, securing the support of Members of Parliament in India and the UK, as well as India Plastics Pact
Work continues and an improved and expanded solution will be launched early in 2026, under the direction of REUSE Foundation, aimed at preventing millions of items of plastic packaging and demonstrating financial viability of reuse at scale in rural India
Learn more and provide support here
THE REUSE FOUNDATION RELATIONSHIP
Insights and lessons learned as part of LESS’s work in circular solutions in the UK and Asia led to the formation of REUSE Foundation, a UK charity working to develop and support pragmatic solutions that reduce our reliance on plastic and can deliver change at scale
LESS has provided much of the early funding for REUSE Foundation
LESS and REUSE Foundation now work in alongside each other on many of the charity’s initiatives, which include the expanded project in India
Learn more and donate here
FROM OUR BLOG
Autumn and Winter Sale 2024
As the holiday season approaches, there’s no better time to embrace sustainability and make choices that benefit both you and the planet.
At Refill With LESS, we're delighted to announce huge discounts on our premium selection of refillable glass and stainless steel bottles, helping you gear up for an eco-conscious festive season. From now until the end of the year, you can shop our refillable containers at unbeatable prices.
Why Choose Refillable Bottles?more...
India Plastic Pact Features Our Beat The Sachet Project!
It’s been waaay too long since I last posted, so here’s a quick update on our pilot in India that’s demonstrating an alternative to the plastic sachet…
India Plastic Pact recently did a review of reuse systems in India. It underlined the importance of reuse to prevent plastic waste and captured developments in the country so far.
It’s a good report and we were excited to learn that we’re one of just two companies providing refills in India selected for a case study, the other one being Refillable, which is doing some great work.more...
Earth Day Is Focused on Plastics This Year! Get Your Earth Day Bundle Packs To Help Prevent Plastic Waste
This year Earth Day is focused on plastics, with the theme Planet vs. Plastics.
EARTHDAY.ORG is pushing its message of being “unwavering in our commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of ALL plastics by 2040”.
If you fancy an intro to the issue, it provides a great Plastic Pollution Primer and Action Toolkitmore...
‘Recyclability’ And The Farcical 1.5% Threshold
40% of plastic use is for plastic packaging, almost all of it single use. The main frameworks seeking to manage this waste come from WRAP and Ellen MacArthur Foundation that have commitments for users of plastic packaging to make 100% of the plastic compostable, reusable or recyclable by 2025. While the first two options (making packaging compostable or reusable) can be effective at reducing plastic waste, they are difficult to attain, so signatures to these commitments focus on making their packaging ‘recyclable’.
But making plastic packaging ‘recyclable’ is of barely any benefit (see earlier posts).more...
Big Companies Agree Refilling At Home Is The Way To Go
Here at Refill with LESS, we're all about making it easy to do your refills at home. We think it it’s the most efficient and effective way to prevent plastic waste but also save you money.
It turns out, a bunch of big brand companies think much the same. In their 2023 Global Commitments reports, various companies underlined that refilling at home is the best way.
L’Oreal said: “refill at home is the most powerful system in term of environmental impact”.more...
Just In Time For Christmas, Up To 60% Off!
Check out our sale on everything you need to get going with refills. It includes our Christmas Personal Care Bundle that includes stainless-steel, clear and amber glass bottles, stainless-steel push pumps and a range of personal care products to help you prevent plastic waste and smell wonderful. Perfect for that someone or family that has everything and wants to prevent plastic waste. And it's over 30% off too.more...
Bio-D Promotes our Laundry Bottles For Life!
If you follow Bio-D, you may well see our stainless-steel bottles in its social media in coming weeks.
The idea of getting a stainless-steel laundry bottle for life is catching on. Use the bottle with Bio-D’s eco-friendly laundry detergent and it's a smart addition to any laundry room.
You save money on the product and prevent plastic waste. What's not to like?more...
Our Stainless Steel Bottles Get Some Attention
Our new new stainless-steel laundry ‘Bottle for Life’ got some press coverage recently!
It was featured in a number of outlets, including the Yorkshire Times and Hull Is This.
All the pieces mention how refilling at home can help consumers prevent a substantial amount of plastic waste. A typical household purchases roughly one plastic laundry detergent bottles each month, creating 12 bottles of plastic waste each and every year. By using the stainless-steel ‘Bottle for Life’ and refilling from home, consumers can prevent this.more...
It Works! Currently Preventing 5000 Sachets/Month
Our pilot has been going six months, the headline news is that our refill alternative to sachets is working.
We’ve been testing three ways to distribute bulk product and have faced teething problems with all three, but for the most part things have gone extraordinarily well. The solution works well in urban and rural villages and seems especially well suited to low-income household.
After receiving a small free sample, consumers pay the same unit price point as the market leading sachet (Clinic Plus), and bulk distributors purchase from us.more...
Refill With LESS is now open for business
Refill With LESS is the latest addition to LESS's portfolio. It's an e-commerce site that offers customers the chance to buy stylish non-plastic bottles (glass, stainless-steel) to use time and time again, avoiding the need to keep buying single-use plastic bottles. It also sells the liquid to refill the bottles, from several brands across a range of personal and household care categories. If you're looking to move away from plastic, take a look how we can help you do that, and save you money at the same time.
It's available nationally, with free shipping for orders over £50.more...
The Fight Against Plastic Waste Isn't Going Well. Time To Focus On Reuse
Plastic use amongst CPG companies is rising, despite global commitments to plastic use objectives promoted by Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WRAP. This is because the objectives allow corporations to focus on using ‘recyclable’ plastic and downplay a key strategy that could quickly make a difference: reuse.
Business360 research shows how consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are struggling to make progress reducing their reliance on plastic.more...
Our First Media Coverage (Pity We Can’t Understand It!)
Follow माझा शॅम्पू फॅन क्लब On Instagram!
Corporate Signatories Won’t Meet Their Global Commitments To Plastic Goals
Back in 2016 Ellen MacArthur Foundation and World Economic Forum worked to develop the New Plastic Economy[1] as a framework to reduce plastic use. In 2018, and to great fanfare, Ellen MacArthur Foundation promoted the New Plastic Economy, with WRAP promoting its Plastic Pacts ‘enabled by the New Plastics Economy’[2], and companies signed on.
Countries and companies that together represent over 20% of global plastic use committed to plastic use abatement measures with a 2025 deadline.
Signatories agreed to a range of targets:more...
We Launched! And, Surprise Surprise, It Works!
These last few weeks we’ve finally launched our refill-reuse pilot at select kirana stores in and around Aurangabad.
We faced numerous uncertainties – would stores cooperate? Would women even want to try an unknown shampoo brand? If they tried, would they come back for refills, and do so reliably?
The only way to find out was to launch and see what happensmore...
10% Of All Sales Go To Support Our India Project
Plastic waste is a problem here in the UK but it's a far bigger problem in many Asian countries where product is often sold in small plastic sachets that can't be recycled. Instead, these sachets commonly get washed away and escape to waterways and are a primary contributor to ocean microplastic. And along the way they clog drains and cause flooding, creating unsanitary conditions.
For about a year we've been working with a NGO and partner in India on a refill-reuse idea for low-income consumers. Much of the work requires developing a system to enable a reuse system, but a large component centres on consumer outreach and education.more...
Cleaning Up Plastic Waste Sucks
In case you've ever wondered, clearing up old plastic waste from a riverbed is a really shit job.
Not that it isn't important. It's necessary, and about the only way to get heavily polluted rivers back to health. Never fully remediated and pristine, because this stuff endures decades and centuries, but functional and healthier.
But actually doing the work is no picnic. It’s slow, continually bending over or crouching down to pull plastic from the soil to put the waste into a large (plastic) sack. And it can smell really bad too.more...
Sophisticated Naturals And Organic Beauty From Riyō
Riyō is a range of sophisticated natural and organic beauty products.
Hand wash, hand moisturiser and body lotion come in beautiful amber glass bottles; shower products (body wash, shampoo and conditioner) in matte black stainless steel, all with elegant matte black stainless steel push pumps.
Specially developed here in the UK with botanically driven formulations, Riyō uses only the finest natural and organic ingredients, all without animal testing.more...
Colours, And A Thumb On The Scale
Colours and look & feel are critical for a brand, and we wanted to test ideas with our target market.
We prepared various options to convey different ideas and put them out to test. Here's a sample…more...
Choosing A Logo And Ignoring Professional Advice
Votes are in and our first product will be called माझा शॅम्पू (My Shampoo). If only I could say it! I really need to brush up on my Marathi to get the pronunciation right…
Next we need a logo. We want something that conveys quality, assurance and trust. And we want the logo to be something the consumers will be proud to have permanently in their bathrooms.
We had three options, all very different…more...
