Sustainable Impact Recognized by Google and DBS; Accelerating Taiwan’s Circular Ecosystem Development
PackAge+ has launched a reusable “Online Shopping Circular Packaging” solution, addressing the growing concern of excessive packaging waste from online purchases. They have distinguished themselves from global social enterprises by harnessing innovative technologies to drive the circular economy. They are now the only Taiwanese startup team selected for the inaugural “Google for Startups Accelerator: Circular Economy” and one of the two Taiwanese social enterprises awarded in the “2022 DBS Foundation Grant Programme”. With the resources from these international accelerators, PackAge+ aims to expand its circular services ecosystem swiftly, employing big data and machine learning to develop a tracking model for the carbon footprint of circular packaging, thus amplifying its sustainable impact.
On February 7th, Google announced the first cohort of 12 startups for its “Google for Startups Accelerator: Circular Economy”. Among them, Taiwan’s PackAge+ offers e-commerce platforms a reusable “Online Shopping Circular Packaging” solution, leveraging cutting-edge technology to establish a packaging circular system, thereby reducing the waste and carbon emissions from single-use packaging.
Cheng Tian, General Manager of Google’s gTech Sustainability Division, remarked, “Logistics is pivotal for advancing the circular economy, especially with the boom in e-commerce and cross-border trade during the pandemic. PackAge+, a Taiwanese startup, is strategically located at a major hub for freight and logistics. Their commitment to developing sustainable packaging solutions resonates deeply with us. We are excited to aid their innovative endeavors and expand their reach globally.”
Utilizing recycled plastics, PackAge+ manufactures reusable circular packaging and offers consumers a convenient return service through a mobile application. The company also encourages the return and reuse of the packaging with incentives. Since its inception, the startup has introduced 650,000 circular packages in the Taiwanese e-commerce market, equivalent to reducing approximately 195,000 kilograms of single-use packaging waste. With the consultation and technical support from Google’s accelerator, PackAge+ plans to collect data points from the packaging circular system, employ big data and machine learning, and establish an AI model to determine the optimal circular pattern, efficiently tracking and reducing carbon emissions. Moreover, they intend to turn their circular packaging service into a SaaS model, utilizing Google Cloud services to assist more businesses in swiftly adopting circular packaging and sustainable services, thus aligning Taiwan with international standards and showcasing its prowess in the circular economy to the global stage.
In the recently announced “2022 DBS Foundation Grant Programme”, PackAge+ stood out among over 900 Asian social enterprises and SMEs, marking it as one of the social enterprises with the greatest potential for ESG development. The circular packaging system not only addresses environmental concerns but also provides a stable income source for marginalized communities. PackAge+ outsources part of its packaging cleaning process to social welfare organizations, enabling individuals with severe intellectual or multiple disabilities to learn simple cleaning procedures and gain self-recognition in the process, thereby creating substantial social value. The resources provided by the DBS Foundation Grant will aid PackAge+ in continuously developing diversified, sustainable circular business models, deepening their collaboration with sheltered workshops in circular packaging cleaning services, creating more employment opportunities for marginalized communities, and stepping up in circular packaging production.
