Positive purchasing

Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the excess packaging and plastic associated with shopping. In the UK, 46% say they feel guilty about the amount of plastic they use, while 82% are actively trying to reduce the amount they throw away, according to YouGov. The same survey finds that fresh fruit and vegetables, household and cleaning products, homeware and personal care products are the main categories in which shoppers are looking to reduce purchases packaged in plastic.

In response, a growing number of retailers are embracing packaging-free initiatives – from dedicated aisles in supermarkets to entire stores. ‘Retailers recognise how important it is to tackle plastic pollution, removing it where possible and ensuring all packaging is recyclable,’ says Peter Andrews, head of sustainability policy at the British Retail Consortium.

Online platform Useless, for example, is a directory for zero-waste stores. Created by ethical agency Nice and Serious, the Useless website helps shoppers find London-based retailers offering loose or unpackaged produce, alongside refill services for home cleaning products and toiletries.

Large grocers are also starting to follow suit. UK supermarket group Waitrose is testing its new Unpacked concept at its Botley Road shop in Oxford, featuring a dedicated refill zone, a frozen ‘pick and mix’ section, and a borrow-a-box scheme. The refill zone includes dispensers for pasta, rice, coffee and washing up liquid, loose fruit and vegetables, as well as a variety of beers and wines on tap.

Earlier in 2019, cosmetics retailer Lush opened its Naked store in Manchester, exclusively selling plastic-free products and packaging alternatives such as solid shampoo and conditioner bars, deodorant bars, and bath soaks and toothpaste without wrappings or bottles. Exploring how technology can replace traditional packaging, the brand is encouraging shoppers to download the Lush Labs app, which can be used to scan unpackaged products to get instant information about ingredients, use and pricing on their smartphones.

Refillable retail

Beyond the store, direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies are laying the groundwork for a slow but steady shift towards more sustainable packaging by championing re-usable and refillable systems. With consumers actively seeking more sustainable packaging alternatives – for example, the unstoppable growth of refillable water bottles – these brands are turning necessity into opportunity.

Blueland, a new DTC brand, sells a range of refillable cleaning products. Eliminating the need for single-use plastic packaging, its Clean Up Kit includes three re-usable bottles and three different tablets for multi-surface, glass and mirror, and bathroom cleaning. The tablets are dissolved in water to create non-toxic household cleaners, with tablet refills available for £1.58 ($2, €1.76). Building on this tablet-based system, the company plans to release further sustainable cleaning products, alongside a personal care range.

‘When people hear eco-friendly, they assume the products will be less effective, more expensive and more work,’ says Sarah Paiji Yoo, CEO and co-founder of Blueland. ‘We’re flipping this on its head with cutting-edge formulas, readily biodegradable packaging and money-saving refill tablets.’

Taking the concept of DIY one step further, Cleanyst’s countertop appliance can be used to create a variety of cleaning and personal care products by mixing concentrated ingredients – presented in re-usable packaging – with tap water. With its everyday household product formulas, the company estimates that it can reduce single-use plastic waste in the home and bodycare category by 80%, saving consumers an average of £117 ($150, €134) a year. ‘Just like consumers are adapting their behaviours in response to mounting environmental issues, we believe the packaging industry must similarly adapt,’ says Nick Gunia, co-founder of Cleanyst.

Sustainable shipping

In the US, 48% of consumers now shop from DTC brands, highlighting the growing importance of these less traditional retail models (source: IAB). At the same time, global e-commerce sales increased by 23.3% in 2018 (source: eMarketer). This age of online retail is significantly contributing to the global waste crisis, with more packaging than ever being used for the delivery and return of an ever-increasing number of online purchases. But this landscape also presents an opportunity to rethink logistics and develop planet-positive packaging and delivery initiatives.

One company tackling this is Liviri, which provides a sustainable, high-performance shipping solution for fresh food and ingredients. According to the company, food packaging and containers add up to almost half of the materials sent to landfill in the US. To address this, its re-usable shipping box offers built-in insulation and can be delivered fully stocked to consumers before being returned to retailers to be re-used for up to 75 deliveries. Such innovations could prove invaluable as alternative retail concepts such as subscription box services continue to grow in popularity.

Transforming the packaging and distribution of an even wider range of everyday essentials, Loop is a circular shopping platform that enables consumers to buy popular products from leading FMCG brands – among them, Dove, Gillette, Häagen-Dazs and Tropicana – in refillable packaging formats. The concept is inspired by glass bottle milk delivery and re-imagines it for a wider range of household goods. Branded goods are delivered in re-usable containers that are collected, cleaned and refilled once the product is used.