Market focus: hydration and

Inset: Ice can be added easily by detaching the neck of Aladdin’s Fresco Thermavac stainless steel water bottle from Burton McCall.

Below: Black + Blum’s Nick Cornwell, Dan Black, Josh Muir and Chloe Lawrence showing some of the brand’s innovative ‘on the go’ solutions at Exclusively 2021.

“The reusable market is certainly evolving; we are seeing more and more refill and zero waste stores opening on a weekly basis across the country,” acknowledges Lisa Scott, director of Huski Home. She reports: “People in general are really turning against single-use plastic in favour of refillable products, such as travel cups, bottles and food containers. Since the pandemic we have taken on 200 new independent retailers who all share a similar ethos as us and they are all seeing a massive increase on the sale of sustainable reusables, which is so positive.” Alongside its travel cups and lunchboxes, Huski Home recently added bottle and cup cleaning brushes to its range, creating an add-on sale that helps to keep reusables spick and span. Lisa notes that the brushes “last five times longer than a standard plastic cleaning brush.” Moreover, she explains: “The coconut wood bottle brush handles are a sustainable by-product made from coconut trees that no longer bear fruit, giving new life to a wood that would have otherwise been discarded. Likewise, the coconut husk or fibre is sustainably grown and harvested. It is wrapped around a stainless steel, bendable, metal wire for easy cleaning. This product is vegan and non-toxic, and the wood and husk are biodegradable.” Aladdin’s recently launched Fresco Thermavac Stainless Steel Water Bottle 0.6L (from Burton McCall) is an excellent example of thoughtful design that is fused with classic styling. Andrea Kaul, senior product manager at PMI emphasises that Aladdin “has been consistently recognised for leading design and innovation and its passion for quality, sustainability, and social responsibility.” She explains: “This iconic water bottle silhouette, now made durable and sustainable, comes in nine elevated and trend forward colours. The double wall stainless steel Thermavac insulation keeps drinks cold for a true 10 hours, and 18 hours with ice.” She highlights that: “The leakproof lid prevents spills, and the removable neck is designed to enable the bottle to be easily filled with ice and cleaned.” The bottle is also dishwasher safe, adding to its user-convenience. Providing leakproof reassurance, Contigo showcased the Autotop Hydration Bottle at Exclusively.

As consumers shift towards more sustainable choices, As consumers shift towards more sustainable choices, hydration bottles, travel cups and lunchboxes can be hydration bottles, travel cups and lunchboxes can be style-conscious statement pieces as well as practical style-conscious statement pieces as well as practical ‘must-haves’. Meanwhile, shopping with your ‘must-haves’. Meanwhile, shopping with your own food containers is set to become a future own food containers is set to become a future phenomenon as refill stations become phenomenon as refill stations become more commonplace. PH looks at the market for more commonplace. PH looks at the market for reusables and ‘on the go.’ reusables and ‘on the go.’

FILLUPGO AND

Inset: Huski Home’s coconut wood bottle brushes are designed to get to the bottom of large travel cups.

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Fashion accessories

Designer Clare Davies reflects on the evolution of the Bottlesoc – the stretchy, washable bottle carrier sleeve that prevents bottles from scratches and enables bottles to be “worn” over the shoulder: “The humble water bottle has rapidly become one of the top-selling accessories in the homewares market. However, for us, it was about trying to solve a specific problem, and help this product evolve with the concerns of customers today. The main motivation for people buying multiple drinks bottles is damage to their existing ones. But, if we can do something to prevent this damage happening in the first place, we can help people change that habit. And this is where Bottlesoc comes in. Not only does it serve a functional purpose, but with the adjustable strap and the personalisation element, it also becomes a fashionable accessory. People love to express their individuality though the clothes and accessories they wear, but they want to be able to do this in a bespoke way, as do brands and businesses. So, the Bottlesoc is the perfect vessel for subtle and practical branding opportunities. Now, as well as encouraging individuals to practise sustainability by using their Bottlesoc, we can provide businesses an eco-friendlier and eye-catching option to market themselves, compared with a drinks bottle plastic wrap around.”

Inset: One of the many striking designs from Bottlesoc.

Above: Sushi in Black + Blum’s Bento Box.

Its ‘chug spout’ opens ‘with the pop of a button for convenient on-the-go one-handed drinking.’ Mindful of hygiene, the design also protects against dirt as the lid clicks back into place over the spout. As another champion of innovative sustainable solutions, Dan Black co-founder and lead designer of Black + Blum emphasises: “We would never like to make just another travel cup.” As well as being fully leakproof and lockable, Black + Blum’s Insulated Travel Cup is “very easy to clean as you can take it apart and wash all the parts in the dishwasher.” Keeping drinks cold for eight hours or hot for five hours, the flow of the cup has been designed to prevent users from burning their lips and can also be opened and closed using one hand. Dan points out the stainless steel Insulated Travel Cup, as well as Black + Blum’s taste-neutral Glass Travel Cup, can fit into car cup holders and bike bottle cages. Black + Blum’s showstoppers at Exclusively 2021 also included its lunch bag, which is made from recycled PET (such as plastic bottles). “With a welded inner, the bag is airtight, insulated and leakproof,” highlights Dan. The brand has also collaborated with bento expert and influencer Sara Kiyo Popowa, the artist, photographer, and recipe developer behind Instagram accounts Shiso Delicious and Bento Party. Dan explains: “Together we have developed a leakproof Stainless Steel Bento Box, which has two containers, with a concealed fork and bamboo lid which doubles as a chopping board.” In addition to her invaluable design input, Sara has developed five unique recipes for use with the Bento Box. Moreover, her inspirational photos and mouth-watering ideas prove that packed lunches have evolved into gourmet meals and art forms.

Topping up

The need for reusable containers for food shopping is rising along with the burgeoning number of zero waste shops that enable consumers to refill their own food storage. Moreover, major supermarkets – including Aldi, Asda, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons and Waitrose - are stepping up with refill trials and new store concepts. For example, in November, Asda heralded its introduction of ‘a new way of shopping’ with the opening of its dedicated refill zone at its Milton Keynes supercentre as well as integrating loose and unpackaged products within the aisles of the store. Customers can refill 70 different products including tea, cereal, rice and pasta, using their own containers or buying one of Asda’s range of reusable containers. The development follows Asda’s initial refill concept in Leeds (which opened last year) and recent openings in Toryglen, Glasgow and York - said to be ‘the largest refill supermarket in the country.’ Meanwhile, an increase in batch cooking of home-cooked meals is boosting demand for practical storage vessels. Adding to consumer choice in the food storage sector, BranQ made its debut at Exclusively in the summer. Chris Coster, sales manager UK and Ireland highlights the benefits of the ‘window’ feature in BranQ’s multi-purpose Q-lock BPA-free plastic food storage containers. “Home cooks can use the space to insert their own label showing the contents and date before the meal is frozen or stored in the fridge,” explains Chris. He adds: “When the window is open, it acts as a vent for microwave cooking.” Bringing decoration to the sector, BranQ also introduced its “nature inspired” etched leaf and flower designs on food storage ranges such as its Rukkola Twist.

Inset: Bring your own containers: Waitrose & Partners expanded its refillable options at trial stores this year.