Kaisa Kaskelotti was happy. She was living a comfortable whale life in the Mediterranean. Kaisa had also recently found a happy partner. And so a new generation of sperm whales had begun. But suddenly, Kaisa began to feel sick. So badly that she passed away. Kaisa washed up breathless on a beach in Porto Cervo, Sardinia. 22 kilos of plastic waste were found in the whale's stomach. Mostly disposable. And a foetus in a state of decomposition.
The above story just sounds like a sad fairy tale, but unfortunately it is completely true. Iltalehti reported on that in Sardinia about the sperm whale that washed up on the pebbles and had a huge amount of plastic waste from single-use packaging in its stomach. Another dead whale was found in the Philippines with 40kg of plastic waste in its stomach. The sperm whale washed ashore in Scotland more than 100 kilos of plastic waste compressed into a ball was found in the stomach. A 9.5 meter long sperm whale washed up dead on the shore of Kapota island In Indonesia's Sulawesi. Inside it were found 25 plastic bags, 115 mugs, four plastic bottles and two beach sandals. And everything else made of plastic. There are many similar stories and animals other than sperm whales also suffer from the waste.
Every year, around 50 million tons of plastic waste ends up in landfills, and unfortunately a large part of the waste also ends up in nature. More than 50% of waste found in nature comes from single-use packaging used in take-aways.
Kamupak's mission is to reduce the waste caused by single-use packaging in the world through reuse and to make reuse easy and everyday for everyone. Reuse is the most effective way to reduce waste and it is also excellent for take-away meals. The reusable packaging is durable, airtight and keeps the portions warm and fresh even when using the home delivery service. And the best thing is that they can be used several hundred times. Just one Kamupak reusable container reduces 6-8 kilos of disposable packaging waste!
The deposit system ensures that reusable containers return to circulation - and do not end up as waste
Reuse also requires the so-called an incentive to get the dishes back into circulation. We have long been used to returning empty bottles to the return machine against a deposit. Kamupak has developed a deposit system for reusable take-away containers. The deposit is paid with the take-away portion and the deposit is returned when the container is returned to any of Kamupak's partner restaurants.
"Library model" for borrowing reusable containers
Kamupak publishes a new loan application alongside the deposit system; Kamupak Reuse. With the help of the application, you can choose a reusable container in connection with a take-away portion without paying a deposit by scanning the container's QR code in the application. The loan period is 2 or 3 weeks, depending on the dish, during which the dish can be returned free of charge. When returning, the QR code is scanned again and the dish can be returned to Kamupak's partner restaurant. If the loan period is exceeded, fines will be charged in stages, just like for overdue library books.
Reusing Kamupak is therefore possible for everyone; for those who want and are used to using phone applications, but also for those who prefer to pay a deposit for reuse.
Choose a reusable take-away container, ensure a happy life for whales
Small everyday choices have big effects. Reuse is the best way to reduce waste and ensure biodiversity and reduce the overconsumption of natural resources. For restaurants and consumers, the reuse of take-away containers brings a new operating model, and it requires a change from the current one from all of us. Change always required will and practical action. Next time, choose a reusable take-away container and save the life of sperm whale and other animals.
Less waste - More life with Kamupak.