What Reusable Packaging Is

A new trend in the world of packaging is reusable packaging, to the people where people have started to claim it’s indeed sustainable. As to the truth of that, it’s usually not always more eco friendly, and usually, it’s not seen in the realms of rigid or flexible packaging as much in terms of sustainability.

There are some circular projects in our economy such as LOOP, which claim to reduce your carbon footprint, as these heavier containers do get the public acclaim, and offer peak recyclability, and also is great for those who are worried about putting out too much carbon. But the thing is, there is no experiment on whether or not reusable is more sustainable or not, but let’s look at what it is, and why people swear by it.

What it Is 

For those who don’t know, reusable packaging is essentially what it is. It’s basically made from some sort of material that’s solid, and it’s used and used again until it hits the end of the usage of this, and then it gets disposed of or recycled. This type of idea is that it’s a more sustainable type of packaging, since you’re using it again and again, and it involves fewer materials.

This is usually seen as a more eco friendly type of option. The most common one is LOOP. You’ve probably heard of the milkmen coming and taking the bottles, and then refilling and reusing them.  they deliver, you consume, then, once you’re done, you put it out again, until you’re done with the usage of this.

Glass bottles are considered a form of reusable packaging.  These days, you have a UPS driver instead of a milkman, and then, after a week they send out the items to the LOOP system, where it gets reused, refilled, sanitized, and then used once again.

It seems like a good idea at the core, but the thing is, it’s really not. In fact, the process makes it not as sustainable as you might think.

Why it’s not as sustainable.

The problem with this, is that the energy that’s used to work on these processes increases over time. it isn’t’ as good for the environment as you might think. Plus, let’s look at the transport costs of this.  there is the production, the transit, and the recycling, and it actually causes more carbon emissions than just using shrink film and the like.

Plus, those containers are quite heavy, and they’re actually not as good as, say, using a flexible pouch. At the core of this, reusable packaging is a good idea in theory, but until we get the emissions lowered, it’s not a more sustainable alternative than other types of options. If the tech did eventually get to the point where it became light enough that you can get the carbon footprint for this lower, then it might be considered a viable, or eco friendly option. Glass bottles went out of fashion. They’re not sustainable, and they’re fragile too.

What’s Better then? 

The answer is a lot. Flexible packaging is basically a type of packaging that’s bendable, and a plastic that can be eco friendly. Cardboard and other paper goods tend to be better options, too, especially since you can get these from recycled paper. A lot of times, these types of applications vary and come into a variety of different ways, and for a lot of people, it can be a great way to improve your chances of getting the best results possible out of this.

Overall, flexible packaging is better and if you’re looking to be more sustainable, then this is the way to go.