South Africa’s first-of-a-kind refill store to reduce single-use plastic packaging, Skubu, was launched in Diepsloot, Johannesburg, by Sonke in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI), under the Circular Economy Demonstration Fund.

The retail concept model helps reduce plastic waste by allowing shoppers to refill essential goods, such as cooking oil, maize meal, sugar and cleaning products, using their own containers, offering significant cost savings for lower-income households.

Sonke is a technology startup that designs, manufactures and manages Internet of Things- (IoT-) enabled automated refill stations.

Sonke’s back-end software provides full traceability of stock movement through the supply chain from receipt through dispatch, machine restocking and sale to the shopper. 

In a media release, the CSIR says the launch of Skubu marks a significant step in integrating circular economy principles into retail, demonstrating how innovation and sustainable business practices can benefit communities.

Beyond environmental benefits, the demonstrator also tackles food security by allowing lower-income citizens to access quality products in smaller quantities at more affordable prices.

“Skubu is a great demonstration initiative to show how circular economy principles can be implemented through collaboration.

“The intention is to focus on the national system of innovation, which looks at how a country creates and applies new ideas to improve technology and grow its economy. This includes bringing universities and science councils closer to the private sector to help derisk and scale circular interventions,” says Professor Linda Godfrey.

Godfrey is a CSIR principal researcher who leads Circular Innovation South Africa, a DSTI initiative hosted by the CSIR.

She also emphasised the importance of collaboration in tackling plastic pollution and improving the quality of life for disadvantaged communities.

DSTI deputy director-general of socioeconomic innovation partnerships Dr Mmboneni Muofhe highlighted how this initiative leverages science and economic innovation to advance the circular economy.

The DSTI initiated the Circular Economy Demonstration Fund under the administration of the CSIR. Through this fund, the CSIR says it provided technical support to Sonke by investigating potential sites that would maximise the effectiveness of the Skubu machines.

Further, the CSIR analysed the data collected by the IoT-enabled refill station to assess the feasibility of establishing a successful and sustainable proof of concept in the market.

“As a government, we are taking a dual approach through the Circular Economy Demonstration Fund initiative, protecting the environment while using science, technology and innovation to foster enterprise development and create employment,” said Muofhe.

These stations not only eliminate up to 100% of single-use plastic packaging but they also enable consumers to save up to 50% by standardising the price per litre across different refill sizes, making every purchase a savvy choice, the CSIR says.