Pioneering in bulk sales in New Zealand since 1988, Bin Inn’s establishing philosophy was to provide customers with great value options for household supplies. Business manager at Bin Inn, Warren Hunter, said this has evolved in recent years to include care for the environment, as concern over the planet’s health has become prominent.
It takes a twin approach to help reduce food waste and plastic use by promoting the message to ‘buy only what you need, and use everything you buy’ and ‘reduce, replenish, recycle’. To reduce plastic manufacturing, Bin Inn has long marketed to customers to bring their containers, which can save them five percent on the items they buy.
Although difficult to quantify, Bin Inn estimates this has reduced the need for millions of new bags and containers to be made.
Bin Inn’s marketing is all geared toward sustainability. It doesn’t use print, preferring to use 100 percent digital marketing. Its 2022 Christmas theme was a Very Merry Sustainable Christmas, with 2023 lined up to deliver a similar message.
“Our e-catalogue promoted zero waste gift ideas, using fabric to wrap gifts, buying bulk foods in reusable jars, DIY Kids gifts, and so on. Sustainability, along with social responsibility, will always be important.”
In 2022, Bin Inn was a proud partner with Kidscan, selling their Christmas crackers, which it is doing again in 2023, and promoting its new company mascot, ‘Adele’, strongly related to clean forests and oceans.
Hunter said the biggest challenge facing the growth of refillable products and sustainability initiatives is closing the loop.
“There are plenty of well-intended suppliers and retailers who are looking to reuse ‘used’ bulk barrels fully, but the reverse logistics are a prohibitive cost. It is feasible for a local region.”
Read more from Warren Hunter below on page 62:
