At the ReGen expo in Sydney last week, PKN spoke to Patrick Manley, CEO and co-founder of Cercle, about the company's smart, circular packaging system and its potential to eliminate single-use waste at scale – while creating meaningful social impact.
Founded four years ago in Sydney, Cercle was born from a common frustration: forgetting to bring a reusable cup. “I kept leaving my keep cup behind and got so annoyed that I started thinking of a system where I wouldn't have to remember it,” said Manley.
That thinking evolved into Cercle, a reusable drinkware and food packaging system designed for durability, ease of return, and traceability. The company’s stainless steel and polypropylene-based cups are not only built to last but are also supported by a technology platform that makes participation frictionless for users and businesses alike.
“Our original coffee cups from four years ago are still in circulation,” Manley told PKN. “On average, each cup has been used around 100 times. Some even up to 500. That kind of repeat usage is incredibly rare.”
Unlike many reusables that end up languishing in kitchen cupboards, Cercle's use-and-bring-back system ensures items are returned, washed, and reused. Its platform eliminates the need for an app – users can either use the system in high trust environments like workplaces without a deposit, or, where a deposit is required, simply scan a QR code on the packaging, which initiates a refundable deposit. When the item is returned, the “payment hold” is cancelled – meaning no money ever leaves the account, avoiding transaction fees and difficulties with returning cash deposits.
To further optimise reuse at scale, Cercle has launched Smart Reuse – an RFID-enabled platform that tracks each reusable item through the entire system lifecycle, from point of service to return, washing, and redistribution. Each item contains a unique RFID chip embedded into its base, enabling autonomous and detailed tracking across venues and wash hubs.
“RFID allows us to monitor stock in real time, reduce losses, and ensure we have the right number of reusables in the right place,” Manley explained. “We’re about to pilot this system in food courts and shopping centres in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.”
The Smart Reuse system includes Cercle’s Smart Pods – RFID-enabled return bins that sense returned packaging without the need for manual scanning. This seamless process supports Cercle’s app-free payment holding system, where customers authorise a temporary payment hold when borrowing a reusable. That hold is automatically released as soon as the item is registered back into the system via RFID sensors.
This tech-enabled model has already achieved significant results. Across just 10 buildings, more than 10,000 cups have been circulated close to one million times – and the next million is expected to take a quarter of the time.
Crucially, the model also delivers social value. Cercle’s Sydney-based wash hubs employ people facing barriers to employment. “We’re proud to create not only environmental improvements, but also social outcomes,” said Manley, who calls for a shift in mindset around packaging recovery.
“I believe we should have targets for diverting away from recycling – just as much as we have for diverting away from waste,” he said. “Reuse gives us a chance to avoid packaging altogether and have a larger impact.”
