Eco-Currency: Loyalty Program

An Introduction to The Eco-Currency:

It's no secret that our planet is in environmental trouble and although we're not going to go through everything wrong, we do want to touch on one very important point: Plastic. Once praised as a multi-purpose miracle polymer plastic has now overtaken the earth - polluting our soils, choking our oceans and forming giant trash islands which threaten to consume us. And although scientists have tried to create bio-plastics and recyclables no real solution yet exists. And so the only option is obvious: Stop using them.

This is a cause very close to our heart at Nourish'd and from the very beginning we refused to use plastic in our Kloof street café, instead opting for far more expensive glass. Although quantities have risen and stores multiplied we have refused to compromise on this core value, but we need your help to do it.

Using single-use glass is not an economically sustainable solution. The cost of each bottle plus plastic-free printing costs above R14/ea, and simply cannot be sustained at current levels of consumption. Using glass was always intended as a buy-and-return system, yet somehow it hasn't been working.

The Bottle Return Loyalty System:

And after many versions of our bottle-return system, starting from nothing, evolving onto R10 cash deposits and then onto an 8-stamp card, after we stopped using cash, our return loyalty system has passed through many variations.

However, it has become clear to us that the current stamp system isn't working. We introduced it with high-hopes but after a few months we've heard your feedback and we have LISTENED. 

And so we've come up with a new Eco-Currency loyalty system to replace it.

How The System Works:

- Each customer will be issued with a unique QR code upon bringing back their first bottle, which will be loaded with R10 credit.

- Each subsequent time they return a cleaned bottle and lid to either of our stores the card will be loaded with R10 additional in-store credit.

- This credit can be spent on any item in-store, not just juices or smoothies like the old stamp system.

Exceptions:

- If a bottle is returned without the lid, only R5 will be loaded onto the card.

- If a bottle is returned very dirty we will not provide any credit as we have to send these bottles to be professionally cleaned at a very high cost.

Additions:

These cards should also be pretty fun, and it will be possible for you to load extra money on them to spend when you're not carrying your wallet. Or load money onto one for a friend as a gift.

We really hope that this new system works, and encourages everyone to bring back their bottles. We're truly not doing this as a way to make extra money, in fact, we're still charging less deposit than the cost of the jars and we want to be transparent about that. We're doing this because it's the right thing for our health and the right thing for this precious and only planet.

Love,

The Nourish'd Familiá