Articles
Source Reduction - Instead of Recycling, Try Reducing
We've all done it — finished up that bottle of water and tossed it in the recycling bin. It feels good, because we think we're doing something for the environment. That's how your customers feel, too. But guess what? That recyclable plastic bottle is actually an ecological nightmare.
Why Recycling Isn't the Answer
Plenty of companies that sell packaged goods have jumped onto the recycling bandwagon, encouraging customers to reuse and recycle and maybe even incorporating a percentage of post-consumer waste into their "new" packaging. Plastic water bottles are among the items most often recycled in the U.S., and the jump in the amount of bottled water sold — from about 4.7 billion gallons in 2000 to more than 7.3 billion in 2005 (1) — means that a good deal of recycling is going on. By 2008, producers were generating about 13 million tons of plastic containers and packaging, and 13.2 percent of that material was recovered for recycling (2).
It sounds pretty good until you consider the vast amounts of energy required for all that recycling. Each plastic bottle is a strain on our economy and our environment. Energy usage costs money, resources, and time.
Think Small.
So what's the good news? It's this: smaller, single unit dose packaging can significantly reduce your company's contribution to the waste stream. By reformulating your product into an additive, you can present a viable solution to a real problem while also differentiating your product in the public eye. Liquid additives in particular are ideal for the pharmaceutical and neutraceutical industries, the beverage market, and many others. A small additive container requires much less energy to produce, transport, and recycle than a large, preformulated product package. Your company looks more environmentally responsible to the end user; you save money and resources during package creation; your product stands out in a good way.
A Solution That Sells Itself
The possibilities of single unit dose packaging are nearly limitless. From health and wellness powder additives for reusable water bottles to pre-measured liquid pharmaceutical concentrates that turn any tasty (and readily accepted) liquid into children's medicine, the sheer convenience of single unit dose packaging is an obvious benefit when it comes to consumer product marketing. Portability, ease of use, and a feeling of doing something good for the environment are all selling points. Larger industrial customers, too, appreciate premeasured additives if it helps them to streamline their own formulation processes or save on supply or distribution costs.
Effective Design for Reduction
Reformulating and repackaging your product is obviously not a process that is easy or fast to implement — but if you do it right, the benefits will accrue directly to your bottom line. By working with an experienced packaging consultant to develop innovative ways to reduce your packaging, you can actually reduce your own raw materials usage, use less energy and create fewer emissions in production, reduce your distribution costs, and bolster your brand image at a time when the Earth's future is front and center in the consumer mind.
(1) - John G. Rodwan, Jr., Beverage Marketing Corporation, "Bottled Water 2004: U.S. and International Statistics and Developments," Bottled Water Reporter, April/May 2005.
(2) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2008," 2008.
