Courtesy of PreScouter

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Circular reusable packaging flow chart
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Linear reusable packaging flow chart

Making the Switch to Reusable Packaging

PreScouter, a Chicago-based research intelligence firm, has released a detailed report on reusable packaging solutions and the companies at the forefront of the trend toward encouraging the reuse of packaging materials. Today, only 14% of plastic packaging is collected for recycling, and over 80% of plastic packaging is disposed of after just one use. The result is that an estimated 95% of packaging material value is lost to the economy because it is disposed of so quickly instead of being used multiple times.

However, polling shows that more than 70% of consumers worldwide would be willing to change their habits to embrace sustainable options. And according to a 2017 report by the World Economic Forum, the reuse potential within the plastic packaging sector is an estimated 20%. One of the strategies highlighted in the report is refillable bottles, where only the active ingredients are shipped. If all bottles just in the home cleaning and beauty & personal care sectors adopted this concept, it would amount to about 3 million tonnes, or at least $8 billion, in packaging cost savings.

Source: PreScouter

Background illustration: artishokcs / iStock via Getty Images Plus

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FEBRUARY 2021