Shift to RePlay: New World Birkenhead Takes the Next Step Towards Reuse
12 October 2026
What happens when reusable packaging becomes the everyday choice, rather than an alternative? New World Birkenhead is helping us find out!
The RePlay Returnables journey has reached an exciting new milestone with the launch of Shift to RePlay at New World Birkenhead.
In a bold move to reduce single-use packaging waste, the store has removed round single-use containers from its Service Deli and replaced them with RePlay returnable containers.
This next phase takes the RePlay trial a step further, exploring how customers respond when reusable packaging becomes the standard option.
Making reuse easier than ever
We've also made an important change to simplify the customer experience. There's no longer a credit card tap or temporary payment hold required to borrow a RePlay container.
The process couldn't be simpler:
- Enjoy your favourite deli food in a RePlay container.
- Return your empty container to the Smart Bin at New World Birkenhead.
- RePlay — containers are professionally cleaned and returned to circulation, ready to be used again and again.
Putting the community at the heart of reuse
The success of Shift to RePlay now rests with the Birkenhead community.
By removing the financial incentive to return containers, we're exploring an important question: Can reuse become a natural part of everyday shopping habits?
Every container returned helps keep valuable materials in circulation and reduces the need for single-use alternatives.
We're grateful to the New World Birkenhead team for their commitment to making this change and to the local community for helping us demonstrate what's possible.
And there's more to come!
The RePlay journey doesn't stop at Birkenhead. We're excited to share that another store will soon be joining the RePlay Returnables programme, bringing more shoppers the opportunity to enjoy good food without the waste.
Watch this space for the announcement!
In the meantime, if you're shopping at New World Birkenhead, remember to return your RePlay containers on your next visit.
Enjoy. Return. RePlay. ♻️
RePlay™ Returnables Celebrates Outstanding Success at the 2026 PIDA Awards
30 July 2026
Three Gold Awards and One Silver Recognise Innovation in Reusable Packaging
Bonson Packaging is proud to announce that the RePlay™ Returnable System has been recognised with an outstanding three Gold Awards and one Silver Award at the 2026 Packaging Innovation & Design Awards (PIDA). The winners were announced at the Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards gala dinner at the Crown Aviary in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on the 28th of July 2026.
Presented by the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP), the PIDA Awards celebrate excellence in packaging design and innovation across Australia and New Zealand. The awards recognise packaging solutions that demonstrate outstanding design, sustainability, functionality and commercial success.
The RePlay™ Returnable System received the following honours:
- Gold – Sustainable Packaging Design (REUSE)
- Gold – Marketing Design
- Gold – Labelling & Decoration Design
- Silver – Food Packaging Design
These awards are a significant milestone for the RePlay™ Return project and reinforce the value of collaboration, innovation and a shared commitment to reducing single-use packaging through practical, scalable reuse systems.
A Proud Moment for Bonson
Bonson Packaging CEO David Tsui said the awards are a testament to the dedication of everyone who has contributed to the RePlay™ Returnable System journey.
"Winning three Gold Awards and one Silver Award at the PIDA Awards is an outstanding achievement and one that everyone involved with the RePlay™ Returnable System should be immensely proud of. On behalf of Bonson Packaging, I would like to congratulate our RePlay team and all of our project partners whose expertise, passion and commitment have helped transform an ambitious idea into an award-winning solution."
"The RePlay™ Returnable System demonstrates what is possible when organisations come together with a shared purpose to create practical, sustainable change. While we're delighted to celebrate this recognition, what excites me even more is the future. This is just the beginning of the RePlay™ Return story, and I look forward to seeing the programme continue to grow, welcome new partners, reach more communities and make an even greater contribution to New Zealand and Australia’s circular economy."
A Win for Collaboration
While Bonson is honoured to receive this recognition, the RePlay™ Returnable System has always been much more than a single organisation's project. It has been built through the expertise, passion and commitment of an exceptional group of partners, all working towards a common goal of advancing the circular economy.
We would like to sincerely thank our partners:
- Foodstuffs North Island Limited (particularly Debra Goulding, Sustainable Packaging Programme Manager)
- New World Stores Birkenhead (Heidi Brittenden) & Willis St Metro (Mac Courtney)
- Circularity (Louise Nash)
- Again Again (Nada Piatek)
- Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (formerly the Ministry for the Environment | Manatū mō te Taiao)
- Anew® & Charopy Smart Bins
- MCC Global IML (Michael Debono)
- Blender. (Oliver McDermott)
- Hula Design (Bree Asmus)
Every organisation and individual has played an important role in helping bring RePlay™ from concept to reality. Their knowledge, encouragement and willingness to collaborate have been instrumental in creating a reusable packaging system that is both practical and commercially viable.
Recognising the Bonson Team
These awards also belong to the many people across Bonson who have contributed their skills, creativity and determination throughout the project.
- From Bonson; Rodney Bennett, Glenn Drake, David McNickle, Irene Smith, Vanya Piacun, Andie Johnston (Flex Marketing)
From research and product development to manufacturing, quality assurance, marketing, sales, logistics and customer support, RePlay™ Return has been a genuine team effort. The project demonstrates what can be achieved when talented people work together with a shared vision.
We are incredibly proud of everyone who has contributed to this achievement.
Thank You to the Australasian Institute of Packaging
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Nerida Kelton FAIP and the team at the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) for organising another exceptional Packaging Innovation & Design Awards programme.
The PIDA Awards continue to showcase the very best packaging innovation across Australasia while encouraging businesses to push the boundaries of sustainability, design and packaging performance.
Looking Ahead
Winning three Gold Awards and one Silver Award is a tremendous honour, but it is only one milestone in the RePlay™ Return journey.
As more businesses, retailers and consumers look for practical ways to reduce waste and embrace circular solutions, we believe reusable packaging has an increasingly important role to play.
The recognition from the PIDA Awards provides further confidence that the RePlay™ Returnable System is helping shape the future of sustainable food packaging. We look forward to continuing to work alongside our partners as we expand the programme and make reusable packaging more accessible across New Zealand, Australia, and beyond.
To everyone who has supported RePlay™ Returnable System along the way; thank you. These awards are a shared achievement, and we couldn't be prouder of what we've accomplished together.
RePlay™ Returnable System a finalist in FOUR categories at the 2026 PIDA Awards
Bonson Packaging’s RePlay™ Returnable System has been recognised by the Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards across Food Packaging, Marketing, and Labelling & Decoration, a reflection of what’s possible when circular thinking meets real-world design.
- Sustainable Packaging
- Food Packaging
- Marketing
- Labelling & Decoration
Single-use packaging remains one of the most persistent challenges in foodservice and retail. The question isn’t whether we need alternatives, it’s how to make those alternatives practical, scalable, and genuinely adoptable at the pace the planet demands.
RePlay™ was built to answer that question. Developed by Bonson Packaging, it’s a returnable packaging system designed not for the edges of the market but for its centre: the high-volume, high-frequency environments where the impact of change is felt most.
Being shortlisted as a finalist in FOUR separate PIDA Award categories is a meaningful milestone. It reflects recognition not just of the product’s functionality, but of the broader design intent: that returnable packaging should be as beautiful, intuitive, and commercially compelling as anything it replaces.
Being recognised across multiple categories reflects the collaboration, innovation, and commitment of everyone involved in the project.
The people behind RePlay™
A project like this doesn’t happen in isolation. RePlay™ reached the market thanks to a committed network of partners, supporters, and day-to-day operators working to make circular packaging a reality:
- Foodstuffs North Island
- Circularity (Louise Nash)
- Again Again (Nada Piatek)
- Rodney Bennett (GM, Bonson)
- Glenn Drake (BDM, Bonson)
And of course, a thank you to the AIP Australasian Institute of Packaging and the PIDA Australasian Packaging Innovation and Design Awards for creating a stage where this kind of innovation gets the recognition it deserves. Congratulations to all fellow finalists in each category.
Winners announced:
2026 PIDA Awards Gala
Tuesday, 28 July · The Aviary, Crown Complex, Melbourne
Fingers crossed for the night, but whatever the result, being here at the finalist stage is already a testament to what a small, determined team can do when the mission is clear.
#RePlayReturnables #SustainablePackaging #CircularEconomy #PIDAAwards #FoodPackaging #PackagingInnovation #BonsonPackaging #ReturnablePackaging
