WHEN PLASTIC IS THE CURRENCY: A CIRCULAR ECONOMY POP-UP

With creativity and imagination, even a circular economy pop-up can become a reality!

Last summer Trashlab Miniwiz launched in Porto Cervo (Sardinia, Italy) a pop-up where the money was plastic. Trashlab-Miniwiz is a company that recycles and upcycles materials for all sorts of solutions. From architecture to consumer goods and furniture, with them, rubbish finds a second opportunity and a new life.

This circular economy pop-up had a Trashespresso machine and a smart rubbish bin called Robin. Robin recognised and sorted out waste customers brought in, turning it into points. Through an app. customers used points to purchase the products sold in store.

 

What did make unique and enticing this pop-up?

• Offer an experience out of the ordinary: consumers are searching for opportunities never experienced before. How many people can say they went to a shop and paid with their used plastic?

 

• Offer a connection with the DNA of the company: the concept of the pop-up gravitated around what Miniwiz believes in recycling. Emotions are the fuel that drives people actions. If you are offering an experience that connects with your core ideals and values, customers will participate in the event, and be your main ambassadors.

 

• Offer transparency of processes: nowadays, consumers want to understand what happens behind the doors of companies that claim to run a business that has a positive impact on the environment. This is an important opportunity to educate consumers about your business, creating a deeper connection with them.

 

• Offer a concept around a hot topic: environment, sustainability and pollution are current topics. Customers are searching for opportunities to be involved in such a compelling challenge. Customers perceive experiences like this pop-up,  as a way to help them achieve something meaningful and, at times, difficult: recycling.  Indeed, research says that 54% of consumers say they would like to be doing more (source JWT Intelligence).

 

Consumers choose wisely how to spend their free time. Although in this pop-up the currency was plastic, the real commodity nowadays is time. If an event has the components mentioned above, customers will be willing to spend their time there. The product they choose to buy will be a souvenir to remember the event by.