Children of the reusable revolution? Leading brands invest in a circular future

03 May 2019 --- Reusability, if done right, is contrary to the most pervasive symptoms of the waste crisis – single-use and disposability. Perfecting reusable solutions for packaging would target the waste problem at its core, instead of simply treating the effects through recycling. In light of this, a host of big-name brands are engaging with reusable models as the notion of a circular economy – where products and services are traded in closed loops in which there is no waste generated – gains traction among industry and consumers alike. From evian to Nestlé and PepsiCo, PackagingInsights takes a look at packaging solutions that tout a zero waste profile.

The reusable packaging market has particularly taken off in recent times, primarily driven by a desire to slash the levels of plastic waste making its way into the environment. 

In the UK, half of the population feel guilty about the amount of plastic they use and even more, 82 percent, are actively seeking to reduce the amount they throw away. These numbers come from a recent YouGov Custom survey, which also found that half would be willing to pay an additional £2 (US$2.60) or more on a grocery shop of £100 (US$130) if all of the packaging used was eco-friendly and did not include any single-use plastics.

To encourage a circular economy the typical, linear business model needs to be revisited and debunked. “The idea of having new business models around how we transport goods around the economy – which is really what packaging is for – is really important,” Peter Maddox, Director of circular economy & resource efficiency experts, WRAP, tells PackagingInsights.

This is where reusable models can play a leading role in the transition to a circular economy.A selection of reusable packaging solutions developed for TerraCycle's new platform, Loop.

Greener groceries?
Growth is occurring at a double-digit rate within the online groceries market and the potential for a reusable platform that can operate within existing e-commerce systems is large.

Seeking to tap into this space, waste management experts TerraCycle announced a new platform, Loop, at the World Economic Forum last year in Davos. The home-delivery platform hopes to give consumers the option to avoid single-use and disposable models when doing groceries. Consumers will be able to order their food and beverages packaged in durable, reusable or fully recyclable packaging made from materials such as alloys, glass and engineered plastics. 

Among the brands taking part are Procter & Gamble (P&G), Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever, Mars Petcare, The Clorox Company, The Body Shop and Coca-Cola.

“Through Loop, we are trying to provide an option for every brand and retailer by partnering with retailers and existing e-commerce platforms. That is how we will get to scale. We are not here to reinvent the distribution model,” Laure Cucuron, TerraCycle General Manager, tells PackagingInsights.

“By working with mainstream retailers, we will, hopefully, convince people it’s easy to move to a durable lifestyle,” she adds.

Moving from single-use to reusable means that the companies must provide packaging solutions that withstand up to 100 use cycles, notes Cucuron. The designs need not wholly avoid plastic. On the contrary, rigid plastic can be a durable and useful material in reusable models. Other popular materials include glass and aluminum, for example.

The requirements have spurred some notable innovations. Häagen-Dazs, for example, is debuting a reusable stainless steel double-walled ice cream container, which also offers the extra functionality of staying cold for two hours while outside of the freezer. The canister also ensures that when it is opened, the ice cream melts more quickly at the top than at the bottom of the container.Häagen-Dazs has debuted a reusable stainless steel double-walled ice cream container for Loop.

The material choice for these durable packs may, however, have a larger environmental impact in terms of production than a single-use plastic product may have. However, when pressed on this point, Cucuron highlights the fact that according to Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) conducted by the organization, the reuse model is much more beneficial for the environment, even if the packaging is more environmentally costly to create in the first place.

A second market that operates through e-commerce channels and is growing at a phenomenal rate is food order and home delivery. However, from the increased emissions expunged from cars and motorcycles to the vast amounts of packaging used by restaurants catering to home-delivery demands, the space has come under some scrutiny in regards to its sustainability.

One option taken up by caterers in the arena has been moving to biodegradable and compostable packaging solutions. However, home delivery giant Deliveroo has partnered with cleantech company OXWASH to launch a takeaway container cleaning service for customers and restaurants in the UK. The trial will allow customers to request that their containers are picked up so that participating restaurants can then wash and reuse the containers for future takeaways. The initial roll-outs will begin in Oxford and Cambridge this summer.

With Loop and initiatives such as Deliveroo’s, it appears that the traditional “milkman model” that utilized industrial cleaning to allow for multiple uses may become commercially viable once again.

Sipping sustainably
The once-innocent PET water bottle has become a kind of symbol for the current anti-plastic movement. As society becomes increasingly swept away by such sentiment, providing stylish alternatives to the PET water bottle appears to be a strong way of exhibiting corporate responsibility. 

This shift was noticeable last year, with PepsiCo’s US$3.2 billion acquisition of SodaStream, a home carbonation product that can replace the repeated purchase of bottles of sparkling water.

Last month, evian unveiled its (re)new solution – an in-home water appliance that reportedly offers a significant reduction in plastic packaging through a combination of re-use and recycling. Consumers attach a thin 5-liter “bubble” of water to the appliance, which gradually contracts as the water is consumed. 

The “bubble” is completely comprised of recycled plastic (rPET) and is 100 percent recyclable. It uses 66 percent less plastic than a 1.5-liter evian bottle and can be recycled into new evian bottles or “bubbles,” the company reports.

Many packaging experts would place the pervasiveness of “throwaway culture” at the heart of the waste problem. As a result, R&D teams are increasingly focused on plastic reduction, reusability and recyclability as key drivers in NPD. For evian, “the solution was developed by its R&D team with design thinking at its heart, focusing on consumer benefits to create a new in-home solution and pushing the limits of the physics of materials to provide consumers with evian, while using as little plastic as possible.”

Designer Virgil Abloh has also worked with evian on a set of limited-edition bottles in its “One drop can make a Rainbow” range, which includes refillable glass water bottles. The reusable movement hopes to phase out the use of single-use plastics.

In a follow up to PepsiCo’s acquisition of SodaStream, the beverage company has launched a hydration platform as part of its Beyond the Bottle journey, which encompasses ways to deliver beverages without single-use plastic bottles. The hydration platform is made up of three components: a hydration dispenser, a user-friendly smartphone app and a personalized QR code sticker for reusable bottles that allows consumers to be recognized by the dispenser. 

Reflecting how people now utilize technology and apps to track and personalize every element of their day, this ecosystem also empowers users to set their own daily hydration goals and automatically tracks their way to meeting them. Additionally, it tracks their environmental impact with a count of plastic bottles saved with each pour as well as over time saves unique preferences (such as favorite flavors and carbonation levels) for future use.

PepsiCo's latest innovation within its Beyond the Bottle initiative - a hydration dispenser, a user-friendly smartphone app and a personalized QR code sticker for reusable bottles. “This new platform addresses a number of trends we’re seeing resonate with consumers, including increasing concern for the environment and preference for refillable bottles, as well as desire for choice and personalization whenever possible,” said Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo Foodservice.

Similar equipment innovations have sprung up in North America. Coca-Cola’s DASANI PureFill gives college students the ability to fill (and refill) their bottles with free, ultra-filtered water or they can add zero-calorie flavors – Berry, Lime, Black Cherry and Blood Orange – and/or carbonation for a small fee, for example.

After a successful pilot on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus in 2017, DASANI PureFill stations can now be found at Ohio State University and the University of Central Florida. Several additional schools, hospitals and at-work locations are eyeing rollouts in the coming months, the beverage giant shares on its website.

As the industry continues to reflect on the circular model as the ideal, the innovation wheel will need to keep rolling. Reusable models that can fit into everyday societal workings hold strong potential, but stakeholder engagement from all levels will likely be necessary to make the ambition a reality. One group targeting the reuse model through a multi-level approach, as well as an overall circular model, is the UK Plastics Pact. 

By Laxmi Haigh