Previously, we applaud brands that have moved towards reducing packaging waste in their consumer products. One similarity that both Lush and The Green Collective SG shared was the involvement of consumers – Encouraging consumers to reuse their packaging. It is easy to understand the concept of refilling one’s plastic container, whereas is difficult to keep track of where a plastic container goes after discarding – what happens to them and where do they go to?
Rather than dealing with the waste, this system targets the problem at its source by reducing the demand for raw materials to manufacture new plastic tubs. The idea of reusing containers is hardly new. If you’ve ever bought a shower gel refill pack to top off your old ones or brought your own cup to Starbucks, you’ve taken part in this system. While this system is straightforward, a key factor lies in consumers – do we buy into it?
With every reusable packaging that producers manufacture to complement this system, there is a “payback” period – a number of times it must be reused before it’s actually better for the environment than the single-use alternative. Each time you reuse a plastic container, it inches closer towards paying off its environmental debt. Of course, here lies the assumption that consumers are refilling them. On the contrary, if you get lazy and toss it into the garbage instead of refilling it, that’s a different story. It may be worse for the environment than single-use as these reusables are made to be durable, resulting in an accumulation of waste (and pollution). For example, Lush’s Bring it Back/Take Back program recorded a 17% return rate in 2019, despite this initiative being in place since 2008 (Lush, 2019).
While it is heartening to see brands experiment with reusable packaging and taking steps towards sustainability, doing so singlehandedly reaps negligible results. Having the system in place is one thing while having consumers actively be part of it is another. Be it lower prices or aesthetics packaging, they have to outweigh the inconvenience of reusing one’s plastic container before consumers fully buy into it.
What about you – Have you bought into the system?
References
Lush. (2019). How lush reduces plastic | lush fresh handmade cosmetics. https://www.lushusa.com/stories/article-how-lush-reduces-plastic.html