2025 Resource Hot 100 Refill Return Pioneer of the Year

The refill and reuse sector is at something of a crossroads. Two-thirds of Britons say they want reuse and refill stations in supermarkets. Nine major UK supermarkets announced commitments in July to explore industry-wide reusable packaging. Yet the practical challenge remains: how do you actually build a reuse system that works commercially?

Recognising this challenge, we have introduced the Refill Return Pioneer award for this year's Resource Hot 100, sponsored by Refill Return, to throw a spotlight on the people who aren't just talking about reuse, but are also making it happen.

2025 winner: Mitchell Platt, founder and Chief Packing Officer of YoYo Grocery, heads the list of qualifying people in this year’s Hot100 placing third in the overall in the main poll. Taking a pioneering approach, Platt has developed a novel grocery reuse system using HDPE flexible packaging, achieving a 94 per cent return rate across nationwide deliveries.

2025 runner-up: Catherine Conway, founder of GoUnpackaged who placed 23rd overall. As a long-standing advocate for reuse (she first launched Unpackaged back in 2006) she has since steered GoUnpackaged’s work across commercial, policy and infrastructure projects. Her efforts have helped institutionalise refill retail in the UK, notably via her leadership in the Refill Coalition and her recent appointment to DEFRA’s Circular Economy Taskforce.

Commenting on the award, Jane Martin, Chief Executive of City to Sea, which manages the Refill Return campaign added: "City to Sea is delighted to celebrate the pioneers of refillable and returnable packaging this year. We are at a pivotable moment in the packaging world, with legislation and consumer demand driving change up the waste hierarchy. For those who say it can’t be done…look again! Innovators, like winner Mitchell Platt from YoYo Grocery, are already doing it, delivering top notch produce direct to your door and engineering return and cleaning systems that put existing infrastructure, such as prepaid returns, to good use!

"Runner up, Cath Conway (GoUnpackaged) has long been leading the charge, providing the data and policy cases for reuse working with an expert team delivering scalable systems for retail. The reusable packaging market is projected to grow from $121.4 billion in 2025 to $199.6 billion by 2035, representing 5.1% annual growth. With rising material costs, strengthening environmental regulations, and growing consumer demand, coupled with clear benefits to human and environmental health, the case for a reuse revolution couldn't be stronger."

Mitchell Platt: Building Commercial Reuse Systems

Platt's journey into the circular economy began with a personal awakening. "When I woke up to the severity of the Climate and Nature Emergency, I threw myself into climate action," he explains to Resource. His transition from a marketing career to founding YoYo Grocery followed a period of long COVID, during which healthy eating became central to his recovery.

The development of YoYo's packaging system required three years of engineering work. Platt initially had no intention of manufacturing packaging, but found that existing solutions could not fulfil his vision of a comprehensive reuse system.

"The real revolution isn't the HDPE flexible pack itself," Platt states. "Where our breakthrough lies is behind the scenes: in the way we wash, dry, and validate the cleanliness of each pack so it can safely re-enter circulation."

The company operates a laboratory washing facility with a 5-star Food Hygiene Rating from the Food Standards Agency. Each bag undergoes thorough cleaning between uses, resulting in packaging that is both microbiologically clean and free of allergen proteins.

YoYo's strategic focus on natural and organic food allows the company to operate with pricing that accommodates the reuse model's economics. The business supplies customers nationwide and also provides B2B services to health-conscious organisations.

Industry challenges and opportunities

The refill and reuse sector faces significant scaling challenges. WRAP research indicates that UK Plastics Pact members are unlikely to meet reuse milestones by 2025, with many companies confirming that reuse is not currently on their R&D timelines.

Platt emphasises the importance of achieving high return rates for viable reuse systems: "Germany's Pfand bottle-return scheme achieves around 98 per cent at national scale – that's the benchmark we should all be aiming for."

The company makes the return process easier by using lightweight, flexible packaging and implementing systematic reminders. Customers actively agree to return packaging at checkout and receive personalised reminder notes with their orders.

Beyond packaging development, YoYo is advancing washing technology that could extend to other applications. "The washing technology we're developing is packaging-agnostic," Platt explains. "That means it has the potential to work just as well for fresh and chilled groceries, and even for products well beyond the grocery aisle."

Reflecting on winning the Refill Return Pioneer award, Platt said: "Innovation never happens in a silo, and we're lucky to have a fabulous team at YoYo pushing the envelope every day. Beyond our team, collaborators have been absolutely crucial."
As regulatory pressure increases through measures like packaging Extended Producer Responsibility, companies developing commercially viable reuse models are positioning themselves at the forefront of packaging transformation.

Refill Return, the category sponsor, has evolved from the original Refill campaign to become what the organisation describes as "a collaborative platform powering the new reuse economy." The campaign aims to raise awareness, champion supportive policies, and provide practical tools connecting consumers with reuse solutions.