Some of the most surprising solutions to reduce plastic have nothing to do with containers. It’s the products that changing their nature – to reduce plastic or get rid of it altogether.
Here are 4 trends we’re noticing:
Concentrate it
Unilever and other companies are working hard to create concentrates for their liquid products that use far less of everything and take up less space. Small packages with concentrates – that contain reduced liquid volume by up to 3x – save on everything…from plastic packaging to corrugate holders. The entire product footprint from labour handling and trucks to transport delivers savings for the customer – and the planet.
Dissolve it
The technology in laundry pods today has a lot of legs. We should expect to see dissolvable sachets in all kinds of categories. Coming soon: Sachets of wrapper-less shampoo and lotion concentrate ready for refillable bottles. Just add water and you have a new full container of your favorite product. This technology can also apply to many single-serve foods that come to life with water: hot chocolate, creamers and even pasta and oatmeal.
Solidify it
Some products are just as good made a little crunchier. Signal didn’t believe that toothpaste had to come in a plastic tube. They added a crunchy coating to single-serve toothpaste tabs and are launching them soon in a reusable jar.
Retro it
The first soaps were made into bars, but somehow, we’ve ended up with a lot of it in liquid form in plastic pump bottles. For those who would rather deal with a soap dish than more plastic, there’s a movement back to solid bars that are wrapped in paper. Even shampoo bars will be found in showers of conscious consumers determined to be plastic free.
Where do you start with plastic reduction? Your product is a great place to begin.