This summer marks a whole new departure for the VivaGreen Group. The Deansgrange business, which began in 1999, specialises in environmentally friendly products.

“We watch trends, identify problems that consumers have, and develop solutions,” explains Sean O’Haire, its marketing executive.

The environment is at the heart of everything it makes, from plant-based moss killers to biodegradable golf divots and paper lunch bags.

This summer it is taking things even further, ensuring that its Tru Eco range of environmentally friendly household detergents become part of the “circular economy” too.

The Tru Eco range sells in SuperValu stores nationwide but its store in Greystones is set to be the first in the country to introduce a Tru Eco refill station.

From June customers have been able to refill their detergent bottles at a specially made dispenser in-store.

It saves consumers money as the savings to the company’s packaging bills are passed on, while the planet gets a breather thanks to reduced manufacturing and waste.

“We could see it is what consumer wanted,” says O’Haire. “There has been a massive seachange in relation to the circular economy. It’s moved mainstream.”

The traditional economic model is based on a linear “take-make-waste” approach which is costly for business and bad for the environment. It relies on large quantities of cheap, easily accessible materials and energy.

A circular economy, by contrast, aims to reduce waste – entirely if possible – by keeping products, components and materials in use for as long as possible, continually creating value.

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