It's not that simple all the time. I work in a produce warehouse and we can't reuse the packaging because it's against FDA rules. And we'd have to take off every label just to clean it.
@@MrBLAA I am privileged to be able to practice zero waste living 🙂 my recycling center in my city has a ton or restrictions on what they accept. My people don't have access to live my life style and it's companies responsible to consider them.
How about companies just create filling stations... and then people can go fill it up themselves. Wally is essentially the service of someone to "refill" an old container. One time use containers dont really exist, it's an modern idea of being wasteful.
There’s like over a million companies. If each one of them has a refilling station, how much space would that take up? That would harm the environment even more
Taehyung's tongue Jimin's hair Not really. The refilling stations (if they’re in the US) would just be the equivalent of a follow up step of manufacturing, there’s tons of places across the US that have the space for it.
There are some companies that are incorporating refilling stations into their stores. The other day, I was at a petco, and there was a litter refill station. There definitely need to be more of these in order to work effectively towards cutting plastic and other material waste, but you got to start somewhere?
I'm obsessed with the idea of Loop💖💖💖 I've been zero waste for 17 days and change as much as I can every single day. But the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness when I enter Target or my grocery store because I see all this single use packaging- it's extremely devastating. I've been brainstorming and agonizing over how these companies can produce less waste. I was thinking of bulk bins for every product, but quickly realized how impractical this would be and felt so hopeless about it. This idea of Loop is exactly the solution I was hoping for! I'm not planning on making my own cleaners or shampoos and I'm very happy with idea of reusable containers for name brands we all rely so much on. I'm definitely going to look into ways to support LOOP going worldwide!!!
I’m about two years into my low waste journey, and I’ve definitely had some ups and downs, including breaking down in a Walmart because I had to buy packaged bread crumbs (not a healthy reaction at all). I’ve really learned to let go of the guilt a lot and instead focus on the positives. Finding other ways to reduce my waste (switching to bamboo toothbrushes, finding a more sustainable cat litter, or even just educating myself on which kinds of nuts are easier on the planet) also really helps me focus on the positive, which is what has allowed me to continue this long. I’m not perfect, and I live with a boyfriend who doesn’t give a hoot about his waste (though he is starting to refuse unnecessary plastic bags!), but it’s still better than getting overwhelmed and going back to not thinking about our impact. At the end of the day it’s true that the world doesn’t need a few people doing low waste perfectly, but rather a lot of people doing it imperfectly. Stick with it, your efforts really matter, and who knows how many people you’ll inspire to be a little more conscious :)
@Janet A I've been buying grains and lots of other things from bulk bins for 25 years and have never experienced a problem with rancid food. Enough people buy from bulk, even at the supermarkets in my small city, that you don't have to worry about the product sitting there too long and not being replenished.
This will only work if the companies don't be greedy and start charging more for the products and give the excuse that it costs more just to capitalize there profit.
The loop model charges you ~$13 for the packaging, but it is a deposit. So you need a higher startup cost, but if their market is big enough the cost of the goods should be the same
@@deseancarter9643 Glass is so much better for the environment it can be used over and over again. Same with metal containers. I'd like to see more shampoo conditioner bottles lotion bottles made from aluminum. Lotion bottles could actually be used from glass stoneware and same with liquid hand soap that you keep on your sink. I took a thrift store lotion dispenser bottle ya know the fancy ones with flowers on them, prints?? I put hand soap in it instead of the ugly plastic thing it came in. Anna In Ohio.
Loop is a good idea, it honestly is but with corporations seeing the high demand of sustainable living and the ongoing rise of zero waste, these companies are profiting of it. Most of these products are overpriced bec as they say, it's much cheaper to just produce plastic. Man, these companies are the problem to begin with, and now they are profiting of their "solutions". They should've addressed more about the waste that they produce with single use plastic containers and they shouldve been more sincere about their shift to reusable containers. They are hiking up prices wherein consumers who live paycheck to paycheck would rather go for plastic bec of the drastic price difference
Karen Owens that’s not easy or effective. Many places only recycle two types of plastic, whereas seven types are commonly used. Even places that claim to recycle all seven types will be sending a proportion of that overseas form”processing”, and once you send it out of your own ecosystem you don’t know what really happens to it. Usually, that’s just incineration, not recycling. The real kicker though is that even recyclable plastic can only be recycled a couple of times. Plastic degrades during the recycling process, so for instance a Coca Cola bottle does not become another Coca Cola bottle. It might become a recycled shampoo bottle, then be recycled one more time, before it can’t be recycled anymore. Recycling plastic is better than not recycling it, but ultimately not the solution we need.
So do I though I could buy fancy new reusable ones but why? when containers come filled with a product I like. Glass mayonnaise jars are actually canning jars so I save them to reuse or pass along to a canner sometimes I take them to a thrift store for donations. Any container that comes with a product is great for sending home leftovers with a guest or bringing to a sick neighbor or loved one. Please don't laugh at your parents for being practical and thrifty. I would guess that $ they saved by not buying bags and containers may have been your birthday gift or item of clothing.
Proctor and gamble are the MAIN cause of the plastic problem. I actually don’t use any of these products in the loop 🤷♀️ ppl need to learn about certain ingredients
I interned at TerraCycle (the co-parent of Loop) which is great idea housed in the struggling city of Trenton,NJ. My only issue really with the model of TerraCycle is that it’s private and only accepts waste of its partner brands. With such an innovative idea as it has, why can’t it expand to a government contract of collection with its neighboring local municipalities? Western nations are drowning our planet in trash. Drastic measures need to be taken.
Yes, the ideas of TerraCycle and Loop and any of those re-fill zero waste stores is good, but the expansion and practicality of these ideas for use where most people live isn't going to happen until we have a system-level change along with it. Capitalism isn't sustainable. It will fight and continues to fight against efficiency, preservation and sustainability. Anything that threatens the profits of the private industries is going to have many obstacles unless we use the tools and methods of oppression and slavery in this system as tools and methods of liberation to a new system. Like the One Small Town method (with Michael Tellinger) it starts in a community, through contributionism, collaboration and co-ownership. We choose to volunteer 3 hours of our time towards community projects, like food production or a zero waste grocery store, or music lessons, art and community centre restoration, whatever we want. We do it because we are part of an umbrella co-operative that has investors who get returns but the majority of returns go to the community members. Because we are producing locally, producing efficiently and sustainably. A powerful co-operative free labor force is something a current capitalist company can't compete with. The free labor force may not be salaried, but they get multiple real benefits. They all get access to the goods and services produced by the co-op projects for free and they get cash dividends from the revenue generated when the excess goods and services are sold to non-members. An integrated strategy that is completely voluntary, but highly rewarding. See if One Small Town strategy would work for your community.
Its only single use if you make it single use. Plastic bags that the stores give out-i reuse like atleast 50 times. I would use it for school to carry bulkier food items that wouldn't fit in my lunch box. Plastic water bottles- yep. I refill and put in my fridge to drink around the house (i have actual metal water bottles i prefer, this is if i go to like a party and they just have plastic water bottles) plastic bottles from cleaning products -i refill with more cleaning products to make bottles/ make my own cleaning products in side of them. Ever see plastic food containers from lunch meat, salads, etc? Yeah they make perfect lunch box containers. Its only waste if you let it be waste. But atleast by reusing "single use" plastic more than once is still reducing your landfill amount then just trashing it.
While I whole heartily support reusablity my biggest issue is that these companies don’t make it cost accessible for all. If we are to truly make an impact, sustainability must be sustainable by ALL not just the minority with a disposable income.
I made a video on going plastic free for a week (on a budget style) and it would mean so much if u could check it out sometime, I hope I can give u some inspo x
Exactly. I get that right now we're still figuring things out but it has to be scaled up to replace what we currently have and we have to make sure it's accessible to everyone. We don't need "eco friendly option" that's always more expensive and just makes some people feel good about themselves, we need it to be the default way things are done. And for the disposable products that we Do need to use they can be designed to break down or they can at least be majorly reduced to more manageable amounts.
Exactly. And for that to be accessible for all we need an integrated approach that moves us to a new socio-economic model as well. Capitalism just isn't a sustainable model for society and certainly not for the environment. The most efficient way to do this would be for products to be grown as locally as possible, delivered to re-fill corner stores so able bodied people in their own neighbourhoods could just walk or bike there, drop off containers if they need to b washed and refill, or if they washed them already, they can refill right there and take back to their home for re-use. This could work for most dry goods, rice, pasta, seeds and nuts as well as jams, jellies, peanut butter, mayo, mustard, ketchup, relish, etc. plus lotions and potions. A service to pick up, wash and refill, like Wally Shop could be available for people with disabilities so they could still benefit from the more sustainable option.
@@coolioso808 yes! While I agree our neo-capitalistic based society is not feasible for continued, equitable growth of our society. We’ve sadly painted ourselves into a corner and the current political system has no incentive to fix it. What you suggest would mean changing zoning laws, because surprise… we’ve made it such that mixed use housing isn’t a thing. So that neighborhoods aren’t set up, nor can they be with current laws, to have easy accessibility to daily life things. Also, growing locally would mean reducing our global trade system and heaven forbid we NOT exploit other countries. I mean, it’d be great if we could. We’d have stronger communities (by that, I mean ACTUAL communities). Reduced waste, reduced environmental impact. It’d reduce urban jungle sprawl, which would help reduce the increasing heat index. Oh reduce poverty, by providing more jobs, and reduce food deserts too. I could go on. But sadly, we don’t have forward thinking PTB’s. They’re more concerned with their pockets. Not the lives and functionality of the world around them.
@@nikkids4266 Oh I agree, the political and elite business powers are not going to help very much, they still want the status quo to continue. But remember, they are small in actual numbers, while the majority of people are in the same boat, want more accessibility, freedom, health and localized access to things they need. In the One Small Town co-op strategy that I speak of, it is all voluntary and done within current laws. Step by step, with what is available in each town. As you know laws vary by State and zoning can vary by town to town. Where some States have plastic bag bans... other States have bans on banning plastic bags! Hilariously backwards policy. But that said, the idea of a Co-Op town strategy is to do what can be done now, gather momentum, increase education and then we can also push for policy changes that would help. Ultimately, again, we have strength in numbers on our side. If a town starts this co-op strategy and just enhances local food production through community gardens, greenhouses and farmer's markets, uses existing grocery stores and town centres to establish a reusebale and refill option for people, that's a step forward. The more that join, because it'll be practical and even financially beneficial to join, the stronger the community gets. If the co-op community starts at 10,000 members donating 3 hours of their time per week to community projects that's 30,000 hours of free labor producing and servicing community needs. All those contributing members are co-owners of all the projects and businesses under that co-op banner. They get free access to the goods and services provided. The excess is sold to non-members and the revenue is shared equally with all members. Yes, some towns in the US will be able to do that faster and easier than others. But they set the precedent! The model can be copied and adapted as needed to suit the needs of each community. If a community has policies that ban mixed use developments that could have front-yard corner stores and shops, well that community with potentially half the voting public in favour of changing those policies? That policy will have a good chance of changing. Politicians are still politicians and if they don't do what the majority demand, they won't be in power anymore. That sort of holding power accountable is much easier at the local level than the State and Federal level. The road ahead to a healthier and sustainable future is not a smooth one, I know that. But I do believe there is now a viable road map that we can all use in our own communities to get there. Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and the more people we have taking steps in the same direction the easier, and honestly, more enjoyable, it will be to get there.
My best friend's father was a milkman. He was laid off in 1978 when Foremost cleared out the last of home deliveries in the SF Bay Area. I buy Rosa Brothers dairy products because glass is better and it is easy to clean the glass, bring it back to the store. I love bulk groceries and brings your own containers and bags. But people need to be taught some hygiene. At Trader Joe's, I had bags with pet hair, old moldy food, and a pair of panties.
Fourthgirl oMG ->that’s awful about the bags and I agree about hygiene and just plain keeping it clean!!! We never had a milkman but our neighbors did. A few yrs ago my daughter had a milkman then moved to another area and they didn’t deliver there, so there are a few new ones coming back. I grew up in N Miami so my mom made up walk to the corner farm store which sold milk, bread and cheese and the guy would sneak and keep your change if you weren’t paying attention 😜 (not the store, but the employee, everytime) weird, the things you remember
In Hungary people used to take back to the supermarket the empty glass bottles and jars and it had a return value which was calculated at the shopping bill. So, people were motivated to return them.
@@treacherousviper I've always liked the idea of returning glass bottles to the store but have never lived in any of the small handful of states with this program. Also I don't really see how .10 or .15 cents a pop is a great motivator? That barely qualifies as pocket change...
@@Kit-se3zs I guess it depends on how much you buy beverages in returnable bottles....that .10 or .15 per can or bottle is added at your purchase so 1 or 2 isn't so much but for a family or people that go through a lot of beer....it adds up pretty quick...i mean if your 6 pk costs .60 more just cause of the deposit
Haagen dasz 14oz vanilla ice cream at walmart is $3.50. Same ice cream, same quantity in a stainless steel container on loop costs $6.50. +$5 refundable deposit. We are yet to talk about costs involved in retrieval of the reusable containers, sanitizing them, return on investment and the additional manufacturing costs involved when the containers reach end of life. And don't even get me started on the carbon footprint involved in the above steps. The milk man model worked because the milk man showed up next day to deliver fresh milk.
Love this! Actually milk in glass bottles sold at grocery stores had deposits. Gallon was a nickel. Glass soda bottles had a deposit of 2¢. As a kid I could spend the day at the park while harvesting bottles for their deposits and have my own candy and refreshments all day. Even today I wash and save jars and some bottles that are glass for reuse. Some plastics I will wash and save for reuse. They may not be pretty but they work. And they come filled with a grocery item I enjoy. Not caring how it looks I'm proud to be doing what I can to keep things out of the landfill.
Jorge Cuevas In Costa Rica too! It is very common here actually.However in Chile the reusable bottles are kinda hidden and many people have the *fake* perception that is antihigienic
In Germany there's this system of Pfandflasche, where you pay usually 15-25 cents more per bottle as a deposit and get that money back when you return it at am automat that pretty much every supermarket has. Most beverage bottles are in there, both glass and plastic, apart from auf like these small smoothie ones. Also the price tag in the store has a big price of the drink and a smaller one for the deposit underneath because in the end, after you returned it, you don't pay the bottom price.
In India we have too, some plastic bottles which you can buy and take with you and if you want you can take the glass bottles which you have to return to the respective shop then and there and it is a little cheaper.
Reusable only works if the whole process of production, distribution, returning and refurbishing is sustainable. Yea, I know, why do people always argue when a new and innovative idea comes up? Because we don‘t want to replace a bad working system with another. The good thing nowadays is that we have a lot of smart young people who are much earlier better informed as the previous generations. Still - complete the idea and then bring it to market. Reusable is definitely the way to go. Great report! I subscribed!
Martha Gomez REALLY? I don’t even live anywhere close to a bad area and I can get a pound of dried black beans for 50 cents, or cans for 50 cents. Six dollars is ridiculous
Martha Gomez yeah that’s the problem that I can see. It seems like all those containers would roughly quadruple the price. It’s nice to see reusable, but at the same time buying a product for 6.50, and then having to give back the container only for it to be sold back for 6.50 feels ridiculous.
The Wally shop makes so much sense, I work on a farm and we never send a truck back empty it is very wasteful and we ruse everything and recycle everything we can.
Companies should be responsible for what the production of plastic products did/ does to our plant & ur society needs to take responsibility for creating a demand for convince.
Food packaging is my biggest obstacle on my low-waste journey, I've pretty much conquered everything else! As a designer I LOVE the concepts of those Loop containers, nothing more satisfying than glass and metal in your hand. It's fun for me to find these companies to support.
This is great! It also needs to be extended to make up... I hate the thought of throwing my powder compact case in the landfill so I have a whole bag full ... (for those who don’t know what it is: it is a clam shell plastic case with a small mirror on the inside and opposite side the powder with face pad) so wasteful ! Not to mention make up bottles, lipsticks, mascara & liquid eyeliner containers etc...
Companies should do this for the same price as wasteful packages. Not only that, but they should start completely phasing out one-use stuff. It's their crisis. Their responsibility. Much better than that stupid straw thing. I get that they're making a show of helping (while actually hurting things). What a stupid way to "help". Also... Their way of speaking makes them sound like what I imagined The Capitol dialect to be in the Hunger Games. A lilt to their voice, as if they're constantly asking a question.
I've always looked at the US's use of plastic bottles as milk containers as kinda weird, where I live most non-soda containers are cardboard, and on another note cotton is really bad bad for the environment just saying 🙃 Also, a good system for returning and recycling plastic bottles is huge, making new products of plastic waste is a lot easier when it's sorted well
Packaging should be expensive and of high enough quality to be worth recycling. It should be expensive enough that people will pick it up if seen in the trash. That'll close the loop.
I rinse out my containers and refill them at the local co-ops Shampoo conditioner pancake syrup all manner of things can easily be refilled at your local health food store Nothing discarded
omg thats amazing! tomorrow im bringing in my own containers for the first time to get them refilled! I made a video on going plastic free for a week and it would mean so much if u could check it out sometime, I hope I can give u some inspo x
In Finland we've had successful deposit-based reusable drink container system running since 1951. Currently we recycle over 90 % of our plastic, aluminium and glass bottles. The deposit system works (over 90 % of bottles recycled), and I'd love to see more containers included in it.
I agree, but there are some ways around it. think of buying one material bag and how long that will last compared to plastic ones, which now cost money to buy anyway! good luck with your plastic journey, I made a video on going plastic free for a week and it would mean so much if u could check it out sometime, I hope I can give u some inspo x
Do not put the onus on the consumer. Corporations should be taxed for producing single use packaging. Either pay the tax, or make a sustainable options available. Single use is so ubiquitous and has been our lifestyle for so long, it will be hard to change.
I purchased reusable sandwich baggies from Amazon and used them for about a month. Despite following instructions about washing (never put in dishwasher, never use hot water), about half of them are not sealing properly anymore. I’m bummed. I want to use reusables, but we need good products to support us.
I’ve studied the topic of single use containers. Soda in the US was sold in glass bottles and aluminum cans up until the late 80’s-early 90’s. So in that area of the market. Soda was slow to change surprisingly. I came to the conclusion that it’s about profits naturally. Oil is plentiful (for now). So it’s cheap to make virgin plastic containers that are cheaper than glass at initial production and is much lighter than glass. So there’s reduced fuel usage in transporting to the market. Additionally plastic is far more durable than glass. Imagine the soda delivery guy at the local convenience store who accidentally drops a whole case of glass soda bottles vs a whole case of plastic. Plastic will bounce around and maybe one or two will burst if any. While the glass will likely break and most of the product is lost. So the cost is in fuel and the potential for broken bottles. Which then means less product being sold. Lost profits. The nail in the coffin for soda and most other producers of other single use products is the simple laziness of the consumer. Consumers have to take part in the exchange. They have to be willing to return the product after its used so that the producer can sanitize and reuse it. Human behavior just is hard to change. As energy will likely become more expensive in the coming decades. Fuel costs may be on the minds of producers even more than they are today. So heavy, reusable containers may be even harder to implement in the future. I liked them comment about local farmers markets and such as the primary supplier showcased in this video. The market is so based on national and international sale that keeping a nationally recognized beer (for example) in one part of the country will require a lot of energy to ship to the other part of the country or even to other countries.
For what I know Mexico has the same type of system in small markets and food carts. Where my dads from most of the locals don’t usually pay for the items and have a tab system where they charge them when a customer gives them their number so they grab their items get their number and get charged later. Most beverages if they finish a gallon of milk or soda or juice they bring it to the market and show the cashier the cashier tells them to put it in a crate where they keep their recyclables and then the person takes the same beverage they came with give the cashier their number and leave. It was on of the most interesting systems I’ve ever seen I was even amazed to see that the food carts or trucks do the same system I went with my family to eat at different taco places around town and I had a beverage and ate my tacos and since I didn’t finish my beverage I took it with me to the next taco place and my dad looked an me and said why did you take that and I said I didn’t finish it he said if you don’t finish it it’s okay they give you the beverage and you drink it their and no where else you not allowed to take it because they have a recycling system and they always use the same products to get new ones so at the end of the day you’ll get a brand new soda regardless where you going. I was like what and my dad even made a joke saying they were one coke short now and would have to pay for it and I got all panicked and wanted to go back. 😂But it’s an interesting way to start recycling in your neighborhood that’s for sure people should really start caring about this especially since of all the heat we’ve been getting global warming is not a joke guys. 😬
This is so cool It’s sad that I live in Hungary 🇭🇺 And we don’t have this But let’s hope that this program will spread around the world 🗺 Thank you 🙏 Bye
aw lucky!! I hope so too :) I made a video on going plastic free for a week and it would mean so much if u could check it out sometime, I hope I can give u some inspo x
The cleaning between refills is what I'm questioning, because in time that could get annoying after knowing you have your own dishes that you wash-- to have to deal with your food containers to. The way the milk man used to take the containers that the customers used and had the milk already packaged to trade with the customer was legit. It is better with a reusable system.
we ordered milk in reusable glass containers until about 2012, there was just something so exciting about getting those glass bottles right to your door
I've been trying my best to be more sustainable, but sometimes it's just not possible. My neighborhood doesn't have a bulk no-waste grocery stores nearby. And I'm on a budget, so buying in bulk at Costco and BJ's is SOOO many more times more cost-effective than purchasing individual products. I hope someday this will be more widespread.
I checked out the Loops website. I think to make this viable, they need to have certain size jars that are universal. Eg. Laundry soap can come in 3 different sizes and then all companies can use them. Same goes for coffee jars, spice jars, pop and drink bottles etc. Right now, it looks like everyone has their own and they will need to go back to the original company they came from. They need to keep it simple like beer bottles, they come in brown, green and clear (at least they do in Canada).
This is all awesome, seeing the way we are innovating the small things. However, when people talk about scaling it out, it seems they crucially forget about rural spread out areas.
In my country, we buy reusable gallons [like the milk man, and loop] of water (18 to 20 Liters) and we put it on a machine (idk what’s it called) and you have two options: cold and hot water. So we don’t really use a lot of plastic bottles.
They have a lot of refill stations where I am originally from but unfortunately where I moved there are not many and far away... I just wish big box stores or even grocery stores would switch to plastic free and refill stations
That is an excellent idea. I just have one question are all the products biodegradable. Because if not , we use less plastic but what about all the chemicals they come in this reusable containers?
it looks like most of them are made out of some kind of metal? They'd last a long time and would be easy to clean and could probably be remelted and used again if they get broken?
For those R&D, don't think about reusable container only. Think about the shape of the container as well. You R&D really didn't push for future. If I will turn all the reusable into a glass container or reusable aluminum, I will think about shapes & capacity as well. For example, I make sure that one bottle can be reused by multiple companies for their products, one bottle can be reused for drinking water, juices, shampoo, ground coffee, handsoap, etc. multiple companies can share the same shape instead of making a lot of shapes & sizes. Because if you will not do it, the future problem is about storage & waste. At least one shape and size policy can help minimize the storage problem. Think R&D, think. And for the companies, ask your marketers to rethink. No more beautification of containers if you are really concern about the future.
Milkman 2.0: Buy drinks in reusable, standard sized bottles at the shop, use, and take back to the shop. There, you will find a bottle-ATM that receives your bottle and gives you a slip that can be used as partial payment (or just get the cash) at the shop. Small payment for each bottle used. Don't reinvent the wheel, guys. This system has been in place in Denmark for decades. Yes, it works.
Thank you for sharing. I’ll be using LOOP exclusively as partners to my business! I hope all companies, especially Amazon, incorporate Loop into their business models soon. All companies are responsible for their wastes, and we are responsible to consuming less and reusing more. 🙏 👊
1st... In E.U. single use plastics are forbidden. 2nd... in Germany if you want to buy something that can be recycled... the SuperMarkets sell it to you more expnsive AND if you bring it back...you RECEIVE THE DIFFERENCE....HUGE DIFFERENCE... at ANY SUPERMARKET
We are a Zero Waste Home like Bea Johnson speaks of on her Zero Waste Home website. And we adhere to her motto Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot (and only in that order) with Refuse being #1. Remember even if you get items in containers that are able to be recycled or reused there are natural resources needed to wash, dry the containers so they can be re-used. We have gallon, half gallon, quart, pint Mason jars which we fill with our bulk food items we buy at the store (nuts, grains, seeds, beans, rice). We also made our own washable 100% cotton bags for produce, bakery items. And all our area grocers carry milk in glass bottles. Also pay attention to the ingredients in packaged items you buy since their carbon print could offset the value of the container being used. L
When you buy softdrinks and liquor in convenience stores in the Philippines, you pay a small deposit which you can claim when you return the glass container. The beverage company collects the containers from the stores and recycles them. The practice works well and has been the norm. I like that even without the banner of environmentalism, consumers are able to contribute to the recycling effort. Unfortunately, large grocery stores have been cropping up in suburbs in recent years, sucking up revenue from small convenience stores. In these grocery stores beverages are sold in plastic containers. There are no deposit fees, and the task of recycling is left to the consumer. In the absence of any recycling infrastructure, the plastic container is collected and dumped in landfills, together with other wastes. I wish there were deposit fees, or some way for consumers to return the plastic container to the grocery store, and for the manufacturer to collect them and recycle.
Yei for P&G that really go, industry taking reponsabolity on this and making zero waste mainstraim is the solution. Now, it is up to us, consumers to back them up
The idea is awesome! I just wish that developing contries could apply this. In my country, the plastic grocery bags were banned this year, but guess what, most big grocery stores now pack vegetables and fruits in plastic wrapers and polifoam containers. They just made one step ahead and two backwards! These ideas seem to always function in Developed countries but for us, they're still quite far from reality. I hope this very same big brands take acountability for their wasteful production and start making changes in our contries too.
As far as recycling goes, the one bin model for all recyclables doesn’t seem to work. Too easy for a dump truck load to get contaminated. I find the sorted method much better, especially when the recycling takes place at a drop off location that utilizes specific dumpsters for each type of recyclable item.
Even though reusing packaging is a great initiative, a lot of the companies that were displayed in the Loop portion are still big corporations that create their products in a non-sustainable way (like some of the beauty products that use palm oil, or petroleum, etc etc), so yeah, it looks pretty on the outside and it won't go to the landfill, but how sustainably made is the product itself?
I would love to use reusables, but there aren't many to choose from where I live (which is very odd seeing as I am so close to Boulder?!?!) and I used to do milk delivery, but the minimum purchase & price made it too much for my family. Honestly, I don't need anything delivered...I need to be able to go to the source and refill my containers. It would also help a lot if our Farmer's market wasn't on Sunday mornings during my Church service. :/
Just found this Series, actuallt thought it was your Channel and not ‘just’ hosting a Series. Very Well done and what a world this is compared to ‘traditional’. Im plantbased and have often thought about packaging. But here in this part of denmark we dont have any kind of Bin-wholefoods sections... everything is packaged quite small. Awareness like this is driving so Munch chance - hopefully it is in time before the consequences become too servere.
The deposit is going to create an income barrier to “doing the right thing”...is someone working on offsets for turning in old, accumulated glass jars, or other accessibility solutions?
This is a lot of work for companies. Perhaps state governments should nudge them the way they banned single-use grocery bags. Personally, I reuse plastic bags and buy dehydrated milk and produce a pound of garbage a week..
I understand the zero waste movement, but I don't understand why people only focus in the plastic, I mean, plastic is the biggest problem, but aluminium foil, paper, metals in general... all this is a problem too but people don't think about it. Also, I hAtE mEtAlStrAws
The issue in these systems is how much do these reusable products cost to the consumer. Reused is not a new concept obviously, glass bottles are reused by some companies like coca-cola but the big issue is the water consumption used to clean the bottles and also the chemicals used. Also the reused packaging will get old as times passes so they will eventually need to be recycled. This is obviously a system that can reduce some packaging being sent out to the market a small step but important one.
Did you know that in the 1970’s you could bring 5 coke glass bottles and they were .05cents each? In turn you could a bag of chips at the corner store. It use to cost a quarter for a bag. We use to have a Coke plant and a Pepsi Bottler place,where the employees use to refill them. When we had the Milk man,we started with bottles. Then Saskatchewan had bags,and also gave you a brown plastic pitcher you could sit it in. He came once a week. That was n Saskatchewan. SARCAN is a can and drink bottle recycling where you take them in,and there is a limit. You would get money back. I like the old system better. Sharen
There is a hope! I live in Austria and if Loop is doing the trial progeam in France that means it coulsd get to other countries in Europe too. I love the idea!
Uh - the environment has been much of a concern for Many for quite a while - we were simply not heard til now when r&d marketers tuned into our wishes when they realized we have conscientious purchasing power. Understanding that population growth coupled with developing countries, exponentially adds more consumers to the market and we're becoming more Aware of what that means on a Waste & Resource Management Grand Global Scale. It ain't pretty and That's down right shameful. So to counter the embarrassing old habit of recent yore, conscientious consumers Really Want/need to still rely on certain products for basic needs but* we'll do it in a fashionable way that either eliminates wastefulness (ei: practicing EC for our babies/toddlers) or condones reusable/none packaging practices. Thank you for creating this inspiring content 🙏💕❤️😊
Yes!!!! I will definitely be looking into loop, I would much rather return anything to the store or a company to take it back for cleaning or reuse. Such a fantastic idea!!!
Companies should be responsible in reusing the waste that they produce
Yes!!! Exactly! Thank you
It's not that simple all the time. I work in a produce warehouse and we can't reuse the packaging because it's against FDA rules. And we'd have to take off every label just to clean it.
C Mac You mean... like the consumer?
How many water bottles, cups, etc etc etc do YOU reuse (instead of throwing away)
@@MrBLAA I am privileged to be able to practice zero waste living 🙂 my recycling center in my city has a ton or restrictions on what they accept. My people don't have access to live my life style and it's companies responsible to consider them.
@@scottyhaines4226 understandable 💯
How about companies just create filling stations... and then people can go fill it up themselves. Wally is essentially the service of someone to "refill" an old container. One time use containers dont really exist, it's an modern idea of being wasteful.
There’s like over a million companies. If each one of them has a refilling station, how much space would that take up?
That would harm the environment even more
Taehyung's tongue Jimin's hair Not really. The refilling stations (if they’re in the US) would just be the equivalent of a follow up step of manufacturing, there’s tons of places across the US that have the space for it.
I wish trader joes would implement this for some of their products
There are some companies that are incorporating refilling stations into their stores. The other day, I was at a petco, and there was a litter refill station. There definitely need to be more of these in order to work effectively towards cutting plastic and other material waste, but you got to start somewhere?
I would just be worried about contamination.
I'm obsessed with the idea of Loop💖💖💖 I've been zero waste for 17 days and change as much as I can every single day. But the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness when I enter Target or my grocery store because I see all this single use packaging- it's extremely devastating. I've been brainstorming and agonizing over how these companies can produce less waste. I was thinking of bulk bins for every product, but quickly realized how impractical this would be and felt so hopeless about it. This idea of Loop is exactly the solution I was hoping for! I'm not planning on making my own cleaners or shampoos and I'm very happy with idea of reusable containers for name brands we all rely so much on. I'm definitely going to look into ways to support LOOP going worldwide!!!
same everything you just said same, like i get anxiety from doing groceries and i see bananas in plastic like whyyy 🤯
SuperDea1988 I tried no sugar and feel the same way going to the store.
I’m about two years into my low waste journey, and I’ve definitely had some ups and downs, including breaking down in a Walmart because I had to buy packaged bread crumbs (not a healthy reaction at all). I’ve really learned to let go of the guilt a lot and instead focus on the positives. Finding other ways to reduce my waste (switching to bamboo toothbrushes, finding a more sustainable cat litter, or even just educating myself on which kinds of nuts are easier on the planet) also really helps me focus on the positive, which is what has allowed me to continue this long. I’m not perfect, and I live with a boyfriend who doesn’t give a hoot about his waste (though he is starting to refuse unnecessary plastic bags!), but it’s still better than getting overwhelmed and going back to not thinking about our impact. At the end of the day it’s true that the world doesn’t need a few people doing low waste perfectly, but rather a lot of people doing it imperfectly.
Stick with it, your efforts really matter, and who knows how many people you’ll inspire to be a little more conscious :)
@Janet A I've been buying grains and lots of other things from bulk bins for 25 years and have never experienced a problem with rancid food. Enough people buy from bulk, even at the supermarkets in my small city, that you don't have to worry about the product sitting there too long and not being replenished.
Loop's stock is doing really well. That could be one way to support them and make a little extra money at the same time.
This will only work if the companies don't be greedy and start charging more for the products and give the excuse that it costs more just to capitalize there profit.
But it would probably cost more to produce these containers.
Look at the tide container for example. "But it's so pretty ".
The loop model charges you ~$13 for the packaging, but it is a deposit. So you need a higher startup cost, but if their market is big enough the cost of the goods should be the same
Companies not.greedy? Nah.
@@deseancarter9643 Glass is so much better for the environment it can be used over and over again. Same with metal containers. I'd like to see more shampoo conditioner bottles lotion bottles made from aluminum. Lotion bottles could actually be used from glass stoneware and same with liquid hand soap that you keep on your sink. I took a thrift store lotion dispenser bottle ya know the fancy ones with flowers on them, prints?? I put hand soap in it instead of the ugly plastic thing it came in. Anna In Ohio.
Loop is a good idea, it honestly is but with corporations seeing the high demand of sustainable living and the ongoing rise of zero waste, these companies are profiting of it. Most of these products are overpriced bec as they say, it's much cheaper to just produce plastic. Man, these companies are the problem to begin with, and now they are profiting of their "solutions". They should've addressed more about the waste that they produce with single use plastic containers and they shouldve been more sincere about their shift to reusable containers. They are hiking up prices wherein consumers who live paycheck to paycheck would rather go for plastic bec of the drastic price difference
Welcome to late stage capitalism.
I'd be interested to see the cost analysis of companies in Loop switching to reusable glass.
Glass is heavy and energy intensive vs metals.
Karen Owens that’s not easy or effective. Many places only recycle two types of plastic, whereas seven types are commonly used. Even places that claim to recycle all seven types will be sending a proportion of that overseas form”processing”, and once you send it out of your own ecosystem you don’t know what really happens to it. Usually, that’s just incineration, not recycling. The real kicker though is that even recyclable plastic can only be recycled a couple of times. Plastic degrades during the recycling process, so for instance a Coca Cola bottle does not become another Coca Cola bottle. It might become a recycled shampoo bottle, then be recycled one more time, before it can’t be recycled anymore. Recycling plastic is better than not recycling it, but ultimately not the solution we need.
@@Nicholas-f5 but in the long run you'll save money
If grocery stores had a milk dispenser I’d use a reusable jug.
In Europe we have milk automats ( milk vending machine ).
@@ЦветелинаИванова-ь2и that's really cool. Thank you Svetlana
Genius!
@@ЦветелинаИванова-ь2и i live in Europe (Portugal) but we don't have any :(
Yes and add to that hand soap dish soap and laundry detergent. And a long list of other products like cereals.
Ohhhh my asian parents reuse all plastic containers 🤣
Ethan Bui yesssss😂😂
So do I though I could buy fancy new reusable ones but why? when containers come filled with a product I like. Glass mayonnaise jars are actually canning jars so I save them to reuse or pass along to a canner sometimes I take them to a thrift store for donations. Any container that comes with a product is great for sending home leftovers with a guest or bringing to a sick neighbor or loved one. Please don't laugh at your parents for being practical and thrifty. I would guess that $ they saved by not buying bags and containers may have been your birthday gift or item of clothing.
I'm not Asian but I can definitely relate
When I was in elementary school I used to reuse plastic mineral water bottles ._.
Oh my gosh yass.. we asians already reuse all containers since forever 😂😂😂👍🏻
Proctor and gamble are the MAIN cause of the plastic problem. I actually don’t use any of these products in the loop 🤷♀️ ppl need to learn about certain ingredients
Exactly, LOOP needs more conscious brand partners.
I interned at TerraCycle (the co-parent of Loop) which is great idea housed in the struggling city of Trenton,NJ. My only issue really with the model of TerraCycle is that it’s private and only accepts waste of its partner brands. With such an innovative idea as it has, why can’t it expand to a government contract of collection with its neighboring local municipalities? Western nations are drowning our planet in trash. Drastic measures need to be taken.
Yes, the ideas of TerraCycle and Loop and any of those re-fill zero waste stores is good, but the expansion and practicality of these ideas for use where most people live isn't going to happen until we have a system-level change along with it.
Capitalism isn't sustainable. It will fight and continues to fight against efficiency, preservation and sustainability. Anything that threatens the profits of the private industries is going to have many obstacles unless we use the tools and methods of oppression and slavery in this system as tools and methods of liberation to a new system. Like the One Small Town method (with Michael Tellinger) it starts in a community, through contributionism, collaboration and co-ownership. We choose to volunteer 3 hours of our time towards community projects, like food production or a zero waste grocery store, or music lessons, art and community centre restoration, whatever we want. We do it because we are part of an umbrella co-operative that has investors who get returns but the majority of returns go to the community members. Because we are producing locally, producing efficiently and sustainably. A powerful co-operative free labor force is something a current capitalist company can't compete with. The free labor force may not be salaried, but they get multiple real benefits. They all get access to the goods and services produced by the co-op projects for free and they get cash dividends from the revenue generated when the excess goods and services are sold to non-members.
An integrated strategy that is completely voluntary, but highly rewarding. See if One Small Town strategy would work for your community.
Its only single use if you make it single use. Plastic bags that the stores give out-i reuse like atleast 50 times. I would use it for school to carry bulkier food items that wouldn't fit in my lunch box. Plastic water bottles- yep. I refill and put in my fridge to drink around the house (i have actual metal water bottles i prefer, this is if i go to like a party and they just have plastic water bottles) plastic bottles from cleaning products -i refill with more cleaning products to make bottles/ make my own cleaning products in side of them. Ever see plastic food containers from lunch meat, salads, etc? Yeah they make perfect lunch box containers. Its only waste if you let it be waste. But atleast by reusing "single use" plastic more than once is still reducing your landfill amount then just trashing it.
While I whole heartily support reusablity my biggest issue is that these companies don’t make it cost accessible for all. If we are to truly make an impact, sustainability must be sustainable by ALL not just the minority with a disposable income.
I made a video on going plastic free for a week (on a budget style) and it would mean so much if u could check it out sometime, I hope I can give u some inspo x
Exactly. I get that right now we're still figuring things out but it has to be scaled up to replace what we currently have and we have to make sure it's accessible to everyone. We don't need "eco friendly option" that's always more expensive and just makes some people feel good about themselves, we need it to be the default way things are done. And for the disposable products that we Do need to use they can be designed to break down or they can at least be majorly reduced to more manageable amounts.
Exactly. And for that to be accessible for all we need an integrated approach that moves us to a new socio-economic model as well. Capitalism just isn't a sustainable model for society and certainly not for the environment.
The most efficient way to do this would be for products to be grown as locally as possible, delivered to re-fill corner stores so able bodied people in their own neighbourhoods could just walk or bike there, drop off containers if they need to b washed and refill, or if they washed them already, they can refill right there and take back to their home for re-use.
This could work for most dry goods, rice, pasta, seeds and nuts as well as jams, jellies, peanut butter, mayo, mustard, ketchup, relish, etc. plus lotions and potions. A service to pick up, wash and refill, like Wally Shop could be available for people with disabilities so they could still benefit from the more sustainable option.
@@coolioso808 yes! While I agree our neo-capitalistic based society is not feasible for continued, equitable growth of our society. We’ve sadly painted ourselves into a corner and the current political system has no incentive to fix it. What you suggest would mean changing zoning laws, because surprise… we’ve made it such that mixed use housing isn’t a thing. So that neighborhoods aren’t set up, nor can they be with current laws, to have easy accessibility to daily life things. Also, growing locally would mean reducing our global trade system and heaven forbid we NOT exploit other countries.
I mean, it’d be great if we could. We’d have stronger communities (by that, I mean ACTUAL communities). Reduced waste, reduced environmental impact. It’d reduce urban jungle sprawl, which would help reduce the increasing heat index. Oh reduce poverty, by providing more jobs, and reduce food deserts too. I could go on. But sadly, we don’t have forward thinking PTB’s. They’re more concerned with their pockets. Not the lives and functionality of the world around them.
@@nikkids4266 Oh I agree, the political and elite business powers are not going to help very much, they still want the status quo to continue. But remember, they are small in actual numbers, while the majority of people are in the same boat, want more accessibility, freedom, health and localized access to things they need. In the One Small Town co-op strategy that I speak of, it is all voluntary and done within current laws. Step by step, with what is available in each town. As you know laws vary by State and zoning can vary by town to town. Where some States have plastic bag bans... other States have bans on banning plastic bags! Hilariously backwards policy.
But that said, the idea of a Co-Op town strategy is to do what can be done now, gather momentum, increase education and then we can also push for policy changes that would help. Ultimately, again, we have strength in numbers on our side. If a town starts this co-op strategy and just enhances local food production through community gardens, greenhouses and farmer's markets, uses existing grocery stores and town centres to establish a reusebale and refill option for people, that's a step forward. The more that join, because it'll be practical and even financially beneficial to join, the stronger the community gets.
If the co-op community starts at 10,000 members donating 3 hours of their time per week to community projects that's 30,000 hours of free labor producing and servicing community needs. All those contributing members are co-owners of all the projects and businesses under that co-op banner. They get free access to the goods and services provided. The excess is sold to non-members and the revenue is shared equally with all members.
Yes, some towns in the US will be able to do that faster and easier than others. But they set the precedent! The model can be copied and adapted as needed to suit the needs of each community. If a community has policies that ban mixed use developments that could have front-yard corner stores and shops, well that community with potentially half the voting public in favour of changing those policies? That policy will have a good chance of changing. Politicians are still politicians and if they don't do what the majority demand, they won't be in power anymore. That sort of holding power accountable is much easier at the local level than the State and Federal level.
The road ahead to a healthier and sustainable future is not a smooth one, I know that. But I do believe there is now a viable road map that we can all use in our own communities to get there. Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and the more people we have taking steps in the same direction the easier, and honestly, more enjoyable, it will be to get there.
Coke/soda bottles worked at the grocery store. That’s how we made $$ as a kid.
yup that's how i did i remember walking the streets looking for bottles.
Sweden washes bottles that have $1 deposits.
My best friend's father was a milkman. He was laid off in 1978 when Foremost cleared out the last of home deliveries in the SF Bay Area. I buy Rosa Brothers dairy products because glass is better and it is easy to clean the glass, bring it back to the store. I love bulk groceries and brings your own containers and bags. But people need to be taught some hygiene. At Trader Joe's, I had bags with pet hair, old moldy food, and a pair of panties.
Fourthgirl oMG ->that’s awful about the bags and I agree about hygiene and just plain keeping it clean!!! We never had a milkman but our neighbors did. A few yrs ago my daughter had a milkman then moved to another area and they didn’t deliver there, so there are a few new ones coming back. I grew up in N Miami so my mom made up walk to the corner farm store which sold milk, bread and cheese and the guy would sneak and keep your change if you weren’t paying attention 😜 (not the store, but the employee, everytime) weird, the things you remember
Forget as a kid, I still do that 😂
In Hungary people used to take back to the supermarket the empty glass bottles and jars and it had a return value which was calculated at the shopping bill. So, people were motivated to return them.
There are a few states that do that here..its a good idea and is a great motivator for most people.
There are loads of places that 'used to' do that. We loved it as kids - extra pocket money. Why on earth did they stop, is the question. 🤔
@@treacherousviper I've always liked the idea of returning glass bottles to the store but have never lived in any of the small handful of states with this program. Also I don't really see how .10 or .15 cents a pop is a great motivator? That barely qualifies as pocket change...
@@Kit-se3zs I guess it depends on how much you buy beverages in returnable bottles....that .10 or .15 per can or bottle is added at your purchase so 1 or 2 isn't so much but for a family or people that go through a lot of beer....it adds up pretty quick...i mean if your 6 pk costs .60 more just cause of the deposit
Companies need to start dealing with the problem instead of passing it on to us.
Haagen dasz 14oz vanilla ice cream at walmart is $3.50. Same ice cream, same quantity in a stainless steel container on loop costs $6.50. +$5 refundable deposit. We are yet to talk about costs involved in retrieval of the reusable containers, sanitizing them, return on investment and the additional manufacturing costs involved when the containers reach end of life. And don't even get me started on the carbon footprint involved in the above steps. The milk man model worked because the milk man showed up next day to deliver fresh milk.
When you purchase sustainable cleaning products off Amazon, they poly-bag the items anyway. 🤦🏻♀️
Y'all need to come to Indian Kitchens. Stainless steel containers all the waaaay.
Vidyeah that is great.
Love this! Actually milk in glass bottles sold at grocery stores had deposits. Gallon was a nickel. Glass soda bottles had a deposit of 2¢. As a kid I could spend the day at the park while harvesting bottles for their deposits and have my own candy and refreshments all day. Even today I wash and save jars and some bottles that are glass for reuse. Some plastics I will wash and save for reuse. They may not be pretty but they work. And they come filled with a grocery item I enjoy. Not caring how it looks I'm proud to be doing what I can to keep things out of the landfill.
In Mexico Coca Cola has reusable bottles, just take the used bottle when buying a nother coke
Jorge Cuevas In Costa Rica too! It is very common here actually.However in Chile the reusable bottles are kinda hidden and many people have the *fake* perception that is antihigienic
Wow....
In Germany there's this system of Pfandflasche, where you pay usually 15-25 cents more per bottle as a deposit and get that money back when you return it at am automat that pretty much every supermarket has. Most beverage bottles are in there, both glass and plastic, apart from auf like these small smoothie ones. Also the price tag in the store has a big price of the drink and a smaller one for the deposit underneath because in the end, after you returned it, you don't pay the bottom price.
In India we have too, some plastic bottles which you can buy and take with you and if you want you can take the glass bottles which you have to return to the respective shop then and there and it is a little cheaper.
Reusable only works if the whole process of production, distribution, returning and refurbishing is sustainable. Yea, I know, why do people always argue when a new and innovative idea comes up? Because we don‘t want to replace a bad working system with another. The good thing nowadays is that we have a lot of smart young people who are much earlier better informed as the previous generations.
Still - complete the idea and then bring it to market. Reusable is definitely the way to go.
Great report! I subscribed!
Loop is overpriced. They are charging 6.50 for black beans
Martha Gomez REALLY? I don’t even live anywhere close to a bad area and I can get a pound of dried black beans for 50 cents, or cans for 50 cents. Six dollars is ridiculous
They don’t sell the beans; they sell peace of mind to their customers.
Martha Gomez yeah that’s the problem that I can see. It seems like all those containers would roughly quadruple the price. It’s nice to see reusable, but at the same time buying a product for 6.50, and then having to give back the container only for it to be sold back for 6.50 feels ridiculous.
Is all about business. 1 side said friendly environmental but 1 side secretly over price.
From the vidoe im assuming it must have a delivery charge as well? I dont think 1 dollar can sustain their bussiness model.
The Wally shop makes so much sense, I work on a farm and we never send a truck back empty it is very wasteful and we ruse everything and recycle everything we can.
Companies should be responsible for what the production of plastic products did/ does to our plant & ur society needs to take responsibility for creating a demand for convince.
I made a video on going plastic free for a week and it would mean so much if u could check it out sometime, I hope I can give u some inspo x
Food packaging is my biggest obstacle on my low-waste journey, I've pretty much conquered everything else! As a designer I LOVE the concepts of those Loop containers, nothing more satisfying than glass and metal in your hand. It's fun for me to find these companies to support.
This is great! It also needs to be extended to make up... I hate the thought of throwing my powder compact case in the landfill so I have a whole bag full ... (for those who don’t know what it is: it is a clam shell plastic case with a small mirror on the inside and opposite side the powder with face pad) so wasteful ! Not to mention make up bottles, lipsticks, mascara & liquid eyeliner containers etc...
You can send your mascara wands to wildlife rescues so they can clean birds and animals with them
Lydia Grace thank you - I had no idea 😉👍🌻
Bare minerals started a recycling process you can drop them off at their store!!
Zao makeup is reusable and made of bamboo. Check them out
sn12 fantastic thanks 😉🌻
I wish this was available in rural areas and towns and not just cities
5:00 Yes, finally! I no longer have to worry about my Haagen-Dazs ice cream melting after having it delivered to my front stoop.
Great job only mentioning the website once and then not putting a link in your description. Makes it super easy for us to get involved. Thanks.
This should be law not an idea.
Companies should do this for the same price as wasteful packages. Not only that, but they should start completely phasing out one-use stuff. It's their crisis. Their responsibility.
Much better than that stupid straw thing. I get that they're making a show of helping (while actually hurting things). What a stupid way to "help".
Also... Their way of speaking makes them sound like what I imagined The Capitol dialect to be in the Hunger Games. A lilt to their voice, as if they're constantly asking a question.
I haven’t been this excited in a long time
I've always looked at the US's use of plastic bottles as milk containers as kinda weird, where I live most non-soda containers are cardboard, and on another note cotton is really bad bad for the environment just saying 🙃
Also, a good system for returning and recycling plastic bottles is huge, making new products of plastic waste is a lot easier when it's sorted well
The wally shop girl should have said: we can't recycle, but we can do better, we can reuse
Packaging should be expensive and of high enough quality to be worth recycling. It should be expensive enough that people will pick it up if seen in the trash. That'll close the loop.
I rinse out my containers and refill them at the local co-ops
Shampoo conditioner pancake syrup all manner of things can easily be refilled at your local health food store
Nothing discarded
omg thats amazing! tomorrow im bringing in my own containers for the first time to get them refilled! I made a video on going plastic free for a week and it would mean so much if u could check it out sometime, I hope I can give u some inspo x
In Finland we've had successful deposit-based reusable drink container system running since 1951. Currently we recycle over 90 % of our plastic, aluminium and glass bottles. The deposit system works (over 90 % of bottles recycled), and I'd love to see more containers included in it.
Cost is why it's not sustainable for everyone. No one wants to pay more than they need to.
I agree, but there are some ways around it. think of buying one material bag and how long that will last compared to plastic ones, which now cost money to buy anyway! good luck with your plastic journey, I made a video on going plastic free for a week and it would mean so much if u could check it out sometime, I hope I can give u some inspo x
This is not helping defeating plastic its also helping the ocean and the future generations
This is a good idea but the bigger companies need to change their ingredients while they are at it.
agreed
Finally! In this times, we need more creative people.
Toward life and beauty, not money.
This is great!! I want, in the loop!!!!
Do not put the onus on the consumer. Corporations should be taxed for producing single use packaging. Either pay the tax, or make a sustainable options available. Single use is so ubiquitous and has been our lifestyle for so long, it will be hard to change.
I think the Loop packages are GORGEOUS
Does anyone have any ideas for people that live in rural areas with none of these programs in place?
are your products also local? if so you can use the loop model. Or support local products that do.
the SL Tomato I’m the consumer
@@brennanmartin808 I know, by 'your' I mean the products available there
the SL Tomato we don’t have any local businesses or products that use the loop model
@@brennanmartin808 you can get them to
I would absolutely do this if offered in Colorado!
I purchased reusable sandwich baggies from Amazon and used them for about a month. Despite following instructions about washing (never put in dishwasher, never use hot water), about half of them are not sealing properly anymore. I’m bummed. I want to use reusables, but we need good products to support us.
I’ve studied the topic of single use containers. Soda in the US was sold in glass bottles and aluminum cans up until the late 80’s-early 90’s. So in that area of the market. Soda was slow to change surprisingly. I came to the conclusion that it’s about profits naturally. Oil is plentiful (for now). So it’s cheap to make virgin plastic containers that are cheaper than glass at initial production and is much lighter than glass. So there’s reduced fuel usage in transporting to the market. Additionally plastic is far more durable than glass. Imagine the soda delivery guy at the local convenience store who accidentally drops a whole case of glass soda bottles vs a whole case of plastic. Plastic will bounce around and maybe one or two will burst if any. While the glass will likely break and most of the product is lost. So the cost is in fuel and the potential for broken bottles. Which then means less product being sold. Lost profits. The nail in the coffin for soda and most other producers of other single use products is the simple laziness of the consumer. Consumers have to take part in the exchange. They have to be willing to return the product after its used so that the producer can sanitize and reuse it. Human behavior just is hard to change. As energy will likely become more expensive in the coming decades. Fuel costs may be on the minds of producers even more than they are today. So heavy, reusable containers may be even harder to implement in the future. I liked them comment about local farmers markets and such as the primary supplier showcased in this video. The market is so based on national and international sale that keeping a nationally recognized beer (for example) in one part of the country will require a lot of energy to ship to the other part of the country or even to other countries.
0:14 Exactly. 😉 0:51 There is a saying that "new stuff is simply well forgotten old stuff". 😎
For what I know Mexico has the same type of system in small markets and food carts. Where my dads from most of the locals don’t usually pay for the items and have a tab system where they charge them when a customer gives them their number so they grab their items get their number and get charged later. Most beverages if they finish a gallon of milk or soda or juice they bring it to the market and show the cashier the cashier tells them to put it in a crate where they keep their recyclables and then the person takes the same beverage they came with give the cashier their number and leave. It was on of the most interesting systems I’ve ever seen I was even amazed to see that the food carts or trucks do the same system I went with my family to eat at different taco places around town and I had a beverage and ate my tacos and since I didn’t finish my beverage I took it with me to the next taco place and my dad looked an me and said why did you take that and I said I didn’t finish it he said if you don’t finish it it’s okay they give you the beverage and you drink it their and no where else you not allowed to take it because they have a recycling system and they always use the same products to get new ones so at the end of the day you’ll get a brand new soda regardless where you going. I was like what and my dad even made a joke saying they were one coke short now and would have to pay for it and I got all panicked and wanted to go back. 😂But it’s an interesting way to start recycling in your neighborhood that’s for sure people should really start caring about this especially since of all the heat we’ve been getting global warming is not a joke guys. 😬
I’m glad companies are working on it.
This is so cool
It’s sad that I live in Hungary 🇭🇺
And we don’t have this
But let’s hope that this program will spread around the world 🗺
Thank you 🙏 Bye
aw lucky!! I hope so too :)
I made a video on going plastic free for a week and it would mean so much if u could check it out sometime, I hope I can give u some inspo x
The cleaning between refills is what I'm questioning, because in time that could get annoying after knowing you have your own dishes that you wash-- to have to deal with your food containers to. The way the milk man used to take the containers that the customers used and had the milk already packaged to trade with the customer was legit. It is better with a reusable system.
we ordered milk in reusable glass containers until about 2012, there was just something so exciting about getting those glass bottles right to your door
I've been trying my best to be more sustainable, but sometimes it's just not possible. My neighborhood doesn't have a bulk no-waste grocery stores nearby. And I'm on a budget, so buying in bulk at Costco and BJ's is SOOO many more times more cost-effective than purchasing individual products. I hope someday this will be more widespread.
I checked out the Loops website. I think to make this viable, they need to have certain size jars that are universal. Eg. Laundry soap can come in 3 different sizes and then all companies can use them. Same goes for coffee jars, spice jars, pop and drink bottles etc. Right now, it looks like everyone has their own and they will need to go back to the original company they came from. They need to keep it simple like beer bottles, they come in brown, green and clear (at least they do in Canada).
This is all awesome, seeing the way we are innovating the small things. However, when people talk about scaling it out, it seems they crucially forget about rural spread out areas.
Is it me or that my Asian parents reuse plastic bags
Black Swordman Yeah. They do. But, gets only used around twice before the handles break.
Yeah lol
Thts just a normal thing
In my country, we buy reusable gallons [like the milk man, and loop] of water (18 to 20 Liters) and we put it on a machine (idk what’s it called) and you have two options: cold and hot water. So we don’t really use a lot of plastic bottles.
They have a lot of refill stations where I am originally from but unfortunately where I moved there are not many and far away... I just wish big box stores or even grocery stores would switch to plastic free and refill stations
That is an excellent idea. I just have one question are all the products biodegradable. Because if not , we use less plastic but what about all the chemicals they come in this reusable containers?
it looks like most of them are made out of some kind of metal? They'd last a long time and would be easy to clean and could probably be remelted and used again if they get broken?
For those R&D, don't think about reusable container only. Think about the shape of the container as well. You R&D really didn't push for future. If I will turn all the reusable into a glass container or reusable aluminum, I will think about shapes & capacity as well. For example, I make sure that one bottle can be reused by multiple companies for their products, one bottle can be reused for drinking water, juices, shampoo, ground coffee, handsoap, etc. multiple companies can share the same shape instead of making a lot of shapes & sizes. Because if you will not do it, the future problem is about storage & waste. At least one shape and size policy can help minimize the storage problem. Think R&D, think. And for the companies, ask your marketers to rethink. No more beautification of containers if you are really concern about the future.
Milkman 2.0: Buy drinks in reusable, standard sized bottles at the shop, use, and take back to the shop. There, you will find a bottle-ATM that receives your bottle and gives you a slip that can be used as partial payment (or just get the cash) at the shop. Small payment for each bottle used. Don't reinvent the wheel, guys. This system has been in place in Denmark for decades. Yes, it works.
Thank you for sharing. I’ll be using LOOP exclusively as partners to my business! I hope all companies, especially Amazon, incorporate Loop into their business models soon. All companies are responsible for their wastes, and we are responsible to consuming less and reusing more. 🙏 👊
Yay!! I’m excited for the Loop project to continue to grow!
Hanna Ibrahim that is for sure.
1st... In E.U. single use plastics are forbidden. 2nd... in Germany if you want to buy something that can be recycled... the SuperMarkets sell it to you more expnsive AND if you bring it back...you RECEIVE THE DIFFERENCE....HUGE DIFFERENCE... at ANY SUPERMARKET
Only 431 views and 54 likes? This needs go VIRAL.
We are a Zero Waste Home like Bea Johnson speaks of on her Zero Waste Home website. And we adhere to her motto Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot (and only in that order) with Refuse being #1. Remember even if you get items in containers that are able to be recycled or reused there are natural resources needed to wash, dry the containers so they can be re-used.
We have gallon, half gallon, quart, pint Mason jars which we fill with our bulk food items we buy at the store (nuts, grains, seeds, beans, rice). We also made our own washable 100% cotton bags for produce, bakery items. And all our area grocers carry milk in glass bottles.
Also pay attention to the ingredients in packaged items you buy since their carbon print could offset the value of the container being used. L
When you buy softdrinks and liquor in convenience stores in the Philippines, you pay a small deposit which you can claim when you return the glass container. The beverage company collects the containers from the stores and recycles them. The practice works well and has been the norm. I like that even without the banner of environmentalism, consumers are able to contribute to the recycling effort. Unfortunately, large grocery stores have been cropping up in suburbs in recent years, sucking up revenue from small convenience stores. In these grocery stores beverages are sold in plastic containers. There are no deposit fees, and the task of recycling is left to the consumer. In the absence of any recycling infrastructure, the plastic container is collected and dumped in landfills, together with other wastes. I wish there were deposit fees, or some way for consumers to return the plastic container to the grocery store, and for the manufacturer to collect them and recycle.
I was raised on my country time margarine bucket with lovely left overs ( I was the only kid in private school ) with one so many looks
I used them for cereal bowls 😆
Yei for P&G that really go, industry taking reponsabolity on this and making zero waste mainstraim is the solution. Now, it is up to us, consumers to back them up
In our town, we still have a local farm that does the milkman system!
The idea is awesome! I just wish that developing contries could apply this. In my country, the plastic grocery bags were banned this year, but guess what, most big grocery stores now pack vegetables and fruits in plastic wrapers and polifoam containers. They just made one step ahead and two backwards! These ideas seem to always function in Developed countries but for us, they're still quite far from reality. I hope this very same big brands take acountability for their wasteful production and start making changes in our contries too.
are you kenyan?
As far as recycling goes, the one bin model for all recyclables doesn’t seem to work. Too easy for a dump truck load to get contaminated. I find the sorted method much better, especially when the recycling takes place at a drop off location that utilizes specific dumpsters for each type of recyclable item.
Even though reusing packaging is a great initiative, a lot of the companies that were displayed in the Loop portion are still big corporations that create their products in a non-sustainable way (like some of the beauty products that use palm oil, or petroleum, etc etc), so yeah, it looks pretty on the outside and it won't go to the landfill, but how sustainably made is the product itself?
This makes me so happy! 🌱🌱 I hope loop explodes and I can use it here in Michigan
I'm Asian and I save everything
I would love to use reusables, but there aren't many to choose from where I live (which is very odd seeing as I am so close to Boulder?!?!) and I used to do milk delivery, but the minimum purchase & price made it too much for my family. Honestly, I don't need anything delivered...I need to be able to go to the source and refill my containers. It would also help a lot if our Farmer's market wasn't on Sunday mornings during my Church service. :/
Just found this Series, actuallt thought it was your Channel and not ‘just’ hosting a Series. Very Well done and what a world this is compared to ‘traditional’. Im plantbased and have often thought about packaging. But here in this part of denmark we dont have any kind of Bin-wholefoods sections... everything is packaged quite small. Awareness like this is driving so Munch chance - hopefully it is in time before the consequences become too servere.
The deposit is going to create an income barrier to “doing the right thing”...is someone working on offsets for turning in old, accumulated glass jars, or other accessibility solutions?
Sooo, what happens if the containers get damaged?
1963=just milk
2019/2020/etc=all the products you can imagine
This is old news in mexico, they're called retornables
Why don't they keep a milk station at the store? I would bring my own jug and fill it up myself!
This is a lot of work for companies. Perhaps state governments should nudge them the way they banned single-use grocery bags. Personally, I reuse plastic bags and buy dehydrated milk and produce a pound of garbage a week..
Reusable containers were the past and will be the future. Plastic is like the plague that we hope to pass away
I understand the zero waste movement, but I don't understand why people only focus in the plastic, I mean, plastic is the biggest problem, but aluminium foil, paper, metals in general... all this is a problem too but people don't think about it. Also, I hAtE mEtAlStrAws
The issue in these systems is how much do these reusable products cost to the consumer. Reused is not a new concept obviously, glass bottles are reused by some companies like coca-cola but the big issue is the water consumption used to clean the bottles and also the chemicals used. Also the reused packaging will get old as times passes so they will eventually need to be recycled. This is obviously a system that can reduce some packaging being sent out to the market a small step but important one.
Did you know that in the 1970’s you could bring 5 coke glass bottles and they were .05cents each? In turn you could a bag of chips at the corner store. It use to cost a quarter for a bag. We use to have a Coke plant and a Pepsi Bottler place,where the employees use to refill them.
When we had the Milk man,we started with bottles. Then Saskatchewan had bags,and also gave you a brown plastic pitcher you could sit it in.
He came once a week. That was n Saskatchewan. SARCAN is a can and drink bottle recycling where you take them in,and there is a limit. You would get money back. I like the old system better.
Sharen
I already reuse my milk containers. What i make Gatorade in or water jugs.
I funnel the liquid soap when "empty" into consolidated containers. I swear the pumps can't get the last 10%. Not wasting that.
DIY everything and save a ton too. Metal feels nicer as well.
The thing with Loop is not all of the products and brands are organic or desirable.
I'd be fine with it if I could deposit the containers when I'm finished and get the money back of the container.
There is a hope! I live in Austria and if Loop is doing the trial progeam in France that means it coulsd get to other countries in Europe too. I love the idea!
Thank God that are ppl like this who are spending the wisely
Uh - the environment has been much of a concern for Many for quite a while - we were simply not heard til now when r&d marketers tuned into our wishes when they realized we have conscientious purchasing power.
Understanding that population growth coupled with developing countries, exponentially adds more consumers to the market and we're becoming more Aware of what that means on a Waste & Resource Management Grand Global Scale.
It ain't pretty and That's down right shameful.
So to counter the embarrassing old habit of recent yore, conscientious consumers Really Want/need to still rely on certain products for basic needs but* we'll do it in a fashionable way that either eliminates wastefulness (ei: practicing EC for our babies/toddlers) or condones reusable/none packaging practices.
Thank you for creating this inspiring content 🙏💕❤️😊
Yes!!!! I will definitely be looking into loop, I would much rather return anything to the store or a company to take it back for cleaning or reuse. Such a fantastic idea!!!
Great series! 👌
wally shop sounds really good
I love this idea! I would totally buy this kind of thing if it was available in my area