Smartfill open-sources refill technology to accelerate reuse in global south markets

SOUTH AFRICA – Refill technology developer Smartfill and design firm DY/DX have open-sourced the core design and technical architecture behind their dispensing systems for liquid fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), a move aimed at accelerating refill and reuse models across emerging markets.

The initiative seeks to reduce one of the biggest barriers to scaling refill systems globally, high hardware costs, by allowing manufacturers and innovators to access and adapt the technology freely.

The refill device was developed in partnership with Bopinc and Unilever through Transform, a program supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and EY.

Transform combines funding and technical support to help scale enterprises that promote sustainable and inclusive economic development.

The technology was initially developed in South Africa and first implemented in Bangladesh, where pilot programs tested refill systems in traditional neighbourhood retail outlets serving low-income communities.

The system allows consumers to refill bottles with liquid FMCG products such as shampoo, liquid soap and conditioner, reducing reliance on single-use sachets that are typically made from multi-layer plastics and are difficult to recycle.

Similar refill systems are now being tested in South Africa through a separate Transform-funded initiative.

Lowering barriers to adoption

According to Nevo Hadas, CEO of Smartfill and partner at DY/DX, open-sourcing technology could help the industry avoid duplicating development efforts.

“Refill won’t scale if every market has to start from scratch,” Hadas said. “By open-sourcing the core dispenser design and learnings, we are lowering the barrier to entry so brands and innovators can deploy refill systems that are proven to work.”

Through the open-source model, the partners aim to reduce hardware costs to below US$50 per dispenser, with some systems potentially reaching under US$35 per product line, improving the commercial viability of refill retail formats.

The technical designs will be released under a General Public License, allowing organizations to use the technology commercially as long as improvements are shared with the wider community.

The open-source assets will be hosted on a repository called OpenRefill, and will include dispenser hardware designs, bills of materials, firmware guidelines and operational insights from real-world deployments.

Beyond the hardware itself, the initiative aims to foster industry collaboration and support policy development.

Shared technical documentation could help regulators and industry groups address gaps in measurement standards, product labelling and quality assurance, which currently limit refill adoption in many markets.

Smartfill believes the approach could help refill systems compete with single-use packaging on cost, convenience and reliability, accelerating the shift toward reuse.

“Our vision has always been that refill dispensers will be as common as cold drink fridges,” Hadas said.

“If refill is going to win, it has to be cheaper, simpler and easier to adopt than single-use packaging.”

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