To celebrate and support World Refill Day on 16 June, Recoup, the UK plastics efficiency and recycling association, has produced a study analysing trends in refill packaging.
Although bulk purchasing has been used for many years to keep costs down, growing concern about the environmental impact of packaging is now making refills an attractive option for everyday household purchases. Refills allow consumers to continue to use the original packaging, providing a solution that aims to reduce the environmental impact of both products and packaging. More and more brands are offering refill solutions to meet consumer demands and corporate sustainability goals.
The Recoup case studies on refill packaging found that refills are widely available in the home and personal care market, particularly for products such as soap, shampoo and cleaning fluids, while refill solutions for food and drink products are currently less common in the UK market. The paper also argues that there are numerous formats available for refill containers, such as pouches, bottles, tubes, cans and cartons, with all formats having advantages and potential disadvantages.
The paper also analyses the materials used in returnable packaging (both refillable and non-refillable) and their suitability for reuse and recycling applications. The new research also looks at the environmental message being communicated to the consumer and whether this is clear and transparent in terms of environmental claims and the refill and return system.
Richard Cham, Senior Packaging & Recyclability Projects Officer, commented:
Reuse is a step forward in reducing plastic waste, but it is important to remember that everything has a life cycle and reusable packaging is no different. At some point these packs will need to be disposed of, so they should be designed with end-of-life in mind.
Recoup concludes that although not always a circular solution, reusable products and reusable packaging play a key role in engaging consumers in reuse programmes.
