Full Circle
The sustainability and marketability of refillable packaging.
Packaging has played an essential role in ensuring the safety and quality of our food, beverages, medications, and personal care products. However, the need for high-quality materials makes packaging the primary user of virgin plastics and paper, generating a significant portion of our waste and marine debris. As a result many brands now offer refillable packaging, selling a service to the consumer instead of a single product. This practice not only reduces their environmental footprint, but also builds stronger relationships with customers and drives brand loyalty.
Legacy brands like Dior and Hermès have refillable perfume options; Lancôme and Olay offer a “glass jar +refill pods” system. Mission-driven sustainable brands such as by Humankind and Kjaer Weis also offer a variety of products in refillable packaging. Loop is a circular shopping platform that works with many major brands to provide zero-waste versions of their popular products by retaining ownership and management of the refillable packaging. The company is on track to test an in-store retail experience in 2021. Closed Loop Partners, an investment firm focused on building the circular economy, funds startups such as Algramo, which allows consumers to buy standard cleaning products and essential items without buying new containers.
Consumers will only change their behavior when the sustainable option is actually better. The “fittest” solutions in the evolution of retail will be those who can drive quality and excitement while being sustainable.