What global pilots reveal about what actually works.
Refill is often positioned as an environmental solution. But new global research suggests that without affordability, retailer buy-in and operational simplicity, even the most well-intentioned refill initiatives struggle to scale.
A newly released playbook, Refill Realities: Designing refill models – Volume 1, draws on insights from more than 20 refill pilots across low-income markets in Africa and Asia, offering a rare, evidence-based look at what enables refill systems to succeed and why many fail.
The research, developed by Bopinc in partnership with Transform, highlights recurring challenges across markets: high capital costs, complex operations, retailer constraints and consumer trust. It also points to practical design principles that can unlock scale when applied correctly.
Smartfill, a South African-developed refill technology platform, was a technology partner in several of the real-world deployments referenced in the report, including pilots in Bangladesh and Kenya. According to Smartfill CEO, Nevo Hadas, the findings closely mirror what the company has seen in South Africa.
“Refill doesn’t fail because people don’t care about waste,” says Hadas. “It fails when the economics don’t make sense, or when the system adds friction.”
Report insight 1: Cost is the biggest barrier to scale
One of the clearest findings in the report is that high hardware and operational costs consistently stall refill adoption. In low-income and informal retail environments, even small increases in cost can derail a pilot.
“If refill infrastructure is expensive or difficult to maintain, it simply won’t scale, especially in township and independent retail,” Hadas explains. “Affordability isn’t a ‘nice to have’ but actually the starting point.”
The report notes that refill systems must be designed to compete with single-use packaging not just on sustainability, but on price, reliability and ease of use.
Report insight 2: Retailers, not technology, decide success
Across markets, neighbourhood grocers and small independent stores proved critical to early adoption but only when refill systems were designed around their realities.
Space constraints, inconsistent power supply, staffing capacity and theft risk all influenced outcomes. Where refill machines aligned with these conditions, uptake improved. Where they didn’t, pilots stalled.
“Retailers are often expected to absorb complexity in the name of sustainability,” says Hadas. “But the evidence is clear: refill only works when it makes the retailer’s job, which is selling products, easier, not harder.”
This insight is particularly relevant to South Africa’s spaza and informal retail economy where margins are tight and operational simplicity is essential.
Report insight 3: Affordability drives behaviour change not green messaging
Data from Kenya cited in the report shows that refill models positioned around price flexibility and value (rather than environmental benefits) delivered strong results. In one example, store owners reported category growth of between 55% and 113%, with a significant share of customers switching brands because of refill availability.
“People didn’t adopt refill because it was ‘green’,” Hadas notes. “They adopted it because they could buy what they needed, at a price they could afford.”
For South African FMCG brands, this reframes refill as a customer acquisition and market-share strategy, not only a sustainability initiative.
Report insight 4: Open, adaptable systems scale faster
The report also highlights the importance of adaptable, modular systems that can be tailored to different retail contexts and supply chains. Rigid, proprietary approaches struggled to replicate across markets.
Smartfill has long taken a modular approach, enabling it to meet differing needs from modern retail to informal shops. It has also open sourced the U-refill dispenser designs to allow brands and other companies to modify designs as needed.
“Scaling refill in the Global South isn’t about owning everything,” says Hadas. “It’s about reducing barriers, sharing what works, and enabling local ecosystems to build viable solutions. We believe that sachet’s are a critical issue and one that can only be resolved by working together.”
As South Africa grapples with plastic waste, rising living costs and pressure on retailers and brands alike, the report’s findings offer a timely reality check.
“Refill has real potential here, but it won’t scale on good intentions alone. It has to work commercially, operationally and culturally for retailers first, consumers second, and brands alongside them,” concludes Hadas.
The Refill Realities playbook provides a practical foundation for organisations looking to move beyond pilot projects and toward refill systems that can operate at scale.
For more information on Smartfill, visit www.smartfill.store or visit the Smartfill open source repository at OpenRefill.
