The world is full of garbage. Mountains of textile waste are integrated into the arid landscape of the Atacama Desert, plastics reach the most inhospitable regions of the planet while electronic waste accumulates in countries like Ethiopia or Ghana. There is no corner safe from the human footprint and the frenetic speed that sets the pace in the production systems of consumer goods does not seem to be slowing down. Therefore, the question that many companies are trying to solve has to do with how to reduce this waste without having to shorten production. And, at the moment, there is no clear answer.
Different initiatives are beginning to be implemented, such as recharging products. That is, offering the consumer the possibility of refilling or recharging the packaging of a previously purchased product. The objective is clear: reduce the manufacture of plastic packaging. Is this option really useful when it comes to reducing waste or is it a strategy disguised as sustainability with which large companies seek to make an ecological facelift? “In general terms, it is good to commit to reducing plastic, even more so in the case of a multinational, but the important thing here is not the that, but the as it does. In that as is done there is a gray scale: from the refill with a slightly smaller impact than other strategies and refills “which are very well done and very well planned,” says journalist and researcher specialized in sustainability and consumption Berta Chávez, author of books on sustainable consumption. On the brink of a shopping spree (Debate) and Your consumption can change the world (Peninsula Editions).
From regular bulk to ‘refill’ models innovative
Enter the kitchen, open cabinets and refrigerator and stop to notice how much plastic is packaging your food and cleaning products. Then go to the bathroom and check the bottles of shampoo and gel, cosmetics, even toothpaste. Plastic floods everything. Given this panorama, it is not surprising that the cosmetic and food industries have been among the first to launch into the phenomenon of refill or recharge.
Juanjo Leza is the owner of the ZeroWasteMad supermarket, a food market. zero waste located at number 35 García de Paredes street in Madrid. The establishment combines traditional bulk purchases (even pasta can be bought that way) with other newer formats, such as solid cosmetics. “We only offer paper bags for food. Hygiene products do not need packaging or come in cardboard.”
“In our store you do not take any plastic products,” says Leza, who had already reduced his plastic consumption “to a minimum” before opening this space in September 2021. Although he claims to be “very happy with the reception of the neighborhood”, according to his experience, he considers “that the foreign client is more aware than the Spanish client.” The change in mentality does not happen overnight, but studies show some encouraging data in relation to Spaniards’ interest in sustainable consumption.
María Vilar, director of Sustainability and ESG (Enviromental, Social and Governance) at Ipsos Spain, points out: “Climate change has occupied a relevant position in the ranking of concerns of Spanish society.” And he adds: “There is a belief that small changes matter: 65% believe that, if everyone made small changes in their daily lives, this could have a big impact in the fight against climate change. These data not only denote concern, but also a willingness to act.” These small changes could be, for example, avoiding single-use plastics when shopping or opting for products that encourage the reuse and circularity of this material. The main problem for the average consumer is that the offer of this type of product is very limited and in almost all cases it is concentrated on brands that already have environmental awareness in their DNA. Finding them without making an extra effort or a specific search is still difficult.
Sachets to refill shampoo and refillable perfumes
The Ellen MacArthur Foundationpromoter of the circular economy, distinguishes four types of refill: at home or at home (the user buys a reusable packaging product and purchases refills to fill it at home), on the go or in store (the user refills their product at a specific refill point, whether in the store or supermarket), return from home or collection at home (the empty container is collected at home and a full one is delivered, the company is responsible for cleaning), and return on the go or return (the buyer returns the packaging to a specific delivery point or mailbox, the company is responsible for cleaning and redistributing it).
In Spain, more and more promising initiatives are being developed. The cosmetic brand Freshly Cosmetics, for example, has a specific sales category called Refill where it brings together hair, facial and body products whose glass container can be refilled with a refill sachet (made with 75% plant fiber and recyclable) once finished.
Another example is found in Ecoalf and its powdered body soap presented in a refillable aluminum bottle. This refill comes in an envelope made of “compostable bioplastic”, as can be read on their website. Both cases fit within the typology of refill at home, the most common among those seeking to get started in this form of consumption. Less innovative, but very practical, is the refill in some supermarkets, which could be defined as an improved bulk system updated to the needs of our time.
In specialized establishments, like ZeroWasteMad, they go further. “For cleaning products we offer glass bottles in storage or customers bring their own containers,” Leza points out. In the opinion of Berta Chávez, “we are already beginning to see strategies of refill which are very well done, but almost always in small and medium-sized companies and not in multinationals.” In a report titled Reusables are possiblepublished by Greenpeace in August 2020the NGO claimed the need for these refill reach large companies: “Large consumer goods companies, from Nestlé to Unilever, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, must act urgently to increase reuse and refill systems and eliminate single-use packaging,” they stated.
In 2021, the giant Procter & Gamble, owner of consumer brands such as Pantene, H&S or Herbal Essences, announced “a smart filling model”, as the company described, in an initiative that sought to promote “a change in the way consumers buy and dispose of their shampoo bottles, inspiring responsible consumption.” The refill container was made, always according to the company, with 60% less plastic, which would translate into savings of millions of new plastic bottles. However, that practice was criticized and labeled as unsustainable by the non-profit organization. greenwashspecialized in exposing the irresponsible practices of large companies in terms of environmental imp
act: “This is a half-hearted effort on the part of Procter & Gamble that falls short of being a truly effective charging system,” they argued.
Not everything goes and not everything is sustainable
Chávez also points out that refilling a plastic container over and over again is not recommended because “it is not an inert material like steel or glass.” “Really the best containers to make a refill in condition and that the container that we are going to fill does not react with the interior, can be washed and lasts, it is glass and steel. Plastic often reacts with cold or heat and with some substances,” he details.
Refilling with glass containers has a growing role in the field of perfume, a sector with great weight in Spain. According to data from STANPA (National Perfumery and Cosmetics Association), 200 million glass containers were used for fragrances in 2021. The number of perfumes with a refill option is still a minority and their use is anecdotal, but more and more top brands are opting for this option. Prada has launched for the first time a perfume refill for Paradoxe, its latest launch and “the first refillable Prada fragrance,” the brand explains. “To ensure a more sustainable impact and reduce packaging material, the glass bottle has been designed to minimize its weight and the use of glass,” the store states. on-line.
The lower environmental impact and the reduction in waste is the main premise behind these business models, but the user can also benefit from somewhat lower prices when opting for refills. “There should be a reward for consumers for using these types of strategies and reducing the impact on the planet of the multinational or company in power. The ideal would be that they charge you an amount for that container and then the refill and the fillings are as cheap as possible to motivate many people to follow this strategy,” says Chávez. To illustrate with the last example mentioned: the new Prada Paradoxe fragrance is priced at 160 euros per 90 milliliters, while the refill is sold for 135 euros per 100 milliliters.
In a still primitive phase, the use of rechargeable products is still limited and even non-existent depending on the sector and although it will not be the panacea to alleviate planetary pollution, its impact will always be more positive than the other alternative: continuing to consume above our limits. odds.
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