Arkive or how to upcycle unused stock into the supply chain

Launched in July 2024, this innovative system aims to eliminate end-of-life stock in the future. Arkive offers end-of-life management in the beauty industry, highlighting the significant waste generated by overstock products and the need for centralised supply chain management. 

The platform allows businesses to centralise their overstock, assign products to resell and repurposing channels, and track sales and sustainability metrics. Named Arkived, it is a B2B SaaS solution that provides comprehensive guidance on non-recyclable materials, ingredients, demand planning, sales, operational planning, footprint reduction, and ESG compliance.

“We are the first and last destination in the supply chain, allowing us to monitor and control overall inventory. Beauty brands can upload their overstocks into our system. Re-commercing overstock is still the most sustainable solution today, while Arkive is partnering with universities to develop upcycling solutions to facilitate 100% sorting, recycling, and repurposing. 

"In the meantime, the phenomenon of excess stock exists, even as we strive towards a wasteless beauty industry. This excess stock needs to be resolved, and we do this through our ecosystem of recycling partners to reuse waste whenever possible. For example, we can repurpose ingredients into new products if items become discontinued in our environment,”

says Sinem Tuncer, Founder of Arkive.

How does it work technically?

1 - Brands upload their otherwise wasted products to the seller portal:

= for example - 10,000 unsold perfume bottles.

2 - The system assigns opportunities for resale, donation or repurposing opportunities with partners:

= for example, primary glass packaging can be recycled and secondary paperboard. Alcohol in the formula can also be extracted and upcycled.

3 - Communicate improvements confidently with actionable sales - and sustainability metrics:

= instead of destroying metrics, the system can generate recycling or CO2-saving metrics.

This offers opportunities for a more circular beauty. The system works in collaboration between retailers, brands, and sorting facilities to achieve a circular economy. This also helps brands prepare for regulatory compliance. In Europe, regulation will most probably prohibit the destruction of unsold non-food items, as is the case with France.

Since 2022, the destruction of unsold non-food products has been banned. The law on the fight against waste and the circular economy (AGEC Law) forbids the destruction of non-food products such as certain electrical products, certain textiles and other types of waste like beauty products. Producers, importers and distributors must reuse or recycle unsold non-food products.

The system also allows the reselling of discarded products to the consumer market at discounted prices when their use-by dates are still valid.

Starting soon

The system will be fully released on the 1st of October, 2024. Arkive is dedicated to making the beauty industry more sustainable through innovative technology and strategic partnerships. Their mission is to eliminate waste, reduce overstock, and promote a circular economy in the beauty sector.