A sustainable everyday choice
Each Norwegian produces around 44 kilos of plastic packaging waste per year, but only 28 percent of this is recycled. The Norwegian service På(fyll) aims to change this.
Published: 07.January, 2025 Last updated: 05.December, 2025
The company På(fyll) started in 2023 with two clear goals: To reduce the plastic consumption of Norwegians, while also providing a service that allowed consumers to reduce their own consumption without having to make drastic changes to their habits. By the end of 2024, users of På(fyll) had succeeded in saving the environment from over two tons of plastic waste - equivalent to 50,157 single-use plastic bottles that would otherwise have ended up in the trash.
– The fantastic thing about På(fyll) is that every single order eliminates the need for single-use plastic. We have a solution that makes it possible for both consumers and businesses to get what they need, without plastic waste, says CEO Rayson Ho.
How does it work?
Through På(fyll)'s website, consumers can order a wide range of home and personal care products from well-known brands like Zalo, Omo, Jif, Lano, Klar, and Blenda. The products are delivered in reusable containers directly to the customer via the Helthjem service. Customers can then refill the products into containers they already have, further reducing the need to buy new plastic products. When the På(fyll) containers are empty, the customer can easily reorder by scanning the QR code on the back of the container. The empty containers are placed back in the box they came in and are collected to be sent for cleaning and refilling with new products. The containers are designed to be used at least ten times before being recycled into new uses. Overall, this creates a circular model that emphasizes user-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability.
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From Pilot Project to National Service
She says the idea arose in 2019 when there was a lot of attention around plastic waste and climate change. På(fyll) started as an innovation project within Orkla that same year, in collaboration with Æra and Bakken & Bæck.
After several iterations and testing during the period from 2019 to 2021, including a closed pilot with nine households, the business model and service offering were further developed. From spring 2022 to summer 2023, they conducted a pilot with nearly 200 customers across Norway to test the system on a larger scale. With funding from, among others, the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund, a soft launch was made possible in the fall of 2023, and the service is now available nationwide, with around 3,000 active users.
– The support from the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund has been crucial for us. It has helped us prove that there is a business model behind the service, and that this is something consumers are actually willing to pay for. The fund's validation has also been important for securing trust among investors and driving further development, explains Ho.
Why would the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund support this project?
Lars Brede Johansen, head of plastics and environment at the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund, explains it as follows:
“The use of plastics has increased exponentially in Norway and the world for several decades. Although plastics are often a good choice both in products and packaging, uncontrolled consumption growth is incompatible with sustainable development. Recycling must be significantly increased from today’s low levels to reduce the need for virgin plastics. It's crucial! But only reducing the amount of plastic addresses resource and waste problems before they arise. Plastics must then be used smarter, as På(fyll) with its circular business model ensures that packaging is used many times before being recycled into quality, recycled raw materials. På(fyll) leads the way, but is not alone. More and more companies are following suit, in packaging, construction materials, textiles, aquaculture, and other industries. The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund aims to engage more and accelerate the transition to reduced plastic use and circular solutions.”
Sustainability Made Easier
Studies conducted by På(fyll) in collaboration with the research environment NORSUS show that users save up to 80 percent of the climate impact by refilling products through their service rather than purchasing them in single-use packaging from the store.
Another survey reveals that nine out of ten Norwegians wish to live more sustainably, but many find it challenging to find practical solutions. På(fyll) believes they have made it easier for hundreds of Norwegians to make sustainable choices by eliminating the need for single-use plastic packaging. They say the service not only reduces plastic waste but is also designed to minimize inconvenience for consumers, who no longer have to remember to bring their own containers or visit specialty stores.
