Purpose before payoff, made visible. Circularity, Made Simple.
For customers, the scan is more than a step — it’s the moment they see their effort counted.
In Eindhoven, Runnersworld rebuilt a flagship space from ~22,000 returned running shoes—you can literally see yesterday’s miles set into the walls, counters and track. Collecting shoes since 2016 with recycling visionaries FastFeetGrinded - customers can see "we have walked the talk".
Now we are working with them so that Returns are registered, customers earn a reward for bringing shoes back, and recyclers get immediate visibility of what’s on the way. As we continue to work together, the visibility customers receive builds transparency, which in turn builds trust... and loyalty.
Trust doesn’t erode in neat increments; it overshoots. When systems fail, the loss is multiples of what was there—and every headline after that cements the doubt.
Soft plastics, hard lesson. Two years after REDcycle’s collapse, ~94% of Australia’s soft plastics were still ending up in landfill even as restarts began—a single failure that rewrote public expectations and made good pilots work twice as hard for credibility. The Guardian
Signals vs substance. 2025 surveys show consumers are wary: only ~20% believe brands accurately represent their sustainability efforts. Logos aren’t enough; people want proof. Business Wire
Labels that backfire. Research commissioned by ClientEarth highlights how familiar “recyclable/green” cues can mislead—fuel for scepticism unless brands "bring receipts". clientearth.org
Net effect: Once trust breaks, even strong programs struggle to break through. The antidote isn’t a bigger claim—it’s visible process, grounded outcomes, and partners who are prepared to be seen.
1) The Overshoot
A well‑intended program falters. The public conclusion becomes: “It all goes to waste.” Every later pilot inherits that deficit—no matter how solid—until you can show where each item goes next. The Guardian
2) Logos vs. Logs
A green icon feels reassuring—until people learn it didn’t mean much. Confidence resets when you swap claims for logs: item‑level confirmations, partner names, and dates. Bring receipts. clientearth.org
3) The Extra Step
Asking customers to do more is reasonable only when they can see it matter. A fast scan with an instant acknowledgment and a small reward is enough to start a relationship; richer milestones should appear only when the system behind them is ready. That’s why the Runnersworld flow leads with registration + reward today, and expands from there.
We’re not here to sermonise or sell a feature list. We’re carefully choosing partners who are ready to show their loop, not just name it—and we’re building tools that convert returns into rewards, data into insight, and customers into partners. We’ll bring receipts: clear counts, visible partners, simple status—no promises the system can’t keep.
Circularity, Made Simple.
Utilitarian is a circular technology company dedicated to closing the customer gap in the circular economy. Founded in 2022 and now operating from Sydney and Rotterdam, we partner with leading retailers and sustainability pioneers to transform returns into loyalty, data, and measurable impact. Our white‑label digital solutions connect customers, capture downstream product data, and scale circularity at speed.
Circularity, Made Simple.
Sources for readers who want to dig deeper:
– Petra Stock, The Guardian: “Two years after REDcycle’s collapse, 94% of Australia’s soft plastics still end up in landfill” (Aug 2, 2025). The Guardian
– Blue Yonder consumer survey (2025): “Only 20% believe brands accurately communicate sustainability efforts.” Business Wire
– ClientEarth/Ipsos (July 31, 2025): “Recycling claims mislead consumers.” clientearth.org