Page 13 - Packaging News magazine Sep-Oct 2022

Re-use packaging is particu- larly being explored by cleaning brands that make have placed sustainability at the heart of their marketing message. One such brand in Australia is Macro Whole Living [a brand owned by Woolworths Group]. It has conducted a trail installation at a local [Double Bay, NSW] branch of Woolworths’ offer- ing sales of its eight product range of eco-formulated laundry liquid, a multi-purpose surface cleaner, and dishwashing detergent. Macro- branded refillable bottles are dispensed by the machine, in what the company describes as a natural extension of its ethos to help ‘con- sumers make better choices.’
For refill-at-home, there are multiple lightweight refills avail- able, as well as a flourishing eco-conscious cleaning subscrip- tion market online. Refills are typically polymer pouches, with many being sold as concentrates that the consumer dilutes at home – further reducing weight.
FOOD PACKAGING
As the largest segment of the con- sumer packaging market food has the greatest potential, but also some of the greatest chal- lenges. These include the need for safety, for example to protect against cross contaminants with allergens; and the sheer variety of different goods.
Food sales in refillable and reus- able packaging were virtually non-existent in 2017, but have since grown rapidly. It is the result of suc- cessful trials and pilot schemes by major consumer packaged food
producers in conjunction with large retail stores around the world. The successful trials are expected to be rolled out across many more retail stores over the five years to 2027 resulting in growing sales of refill- able and reusable food packaging around the world.
Refill-in-store is emerging as the most popular option here. It is especially suited to dry goods and staples, such as dried fruit and nuts, dried soup, dehydrated cook- ing sauces, rice, pasta, pulses, herbs, spices, sugar, teas, flour and breakfast cereals.
NON-GLASS BEVERAGE
Major beverage brands are looking to extend the use of refill-in-store and return-in-store options from glass to PET, and are emphasis- ing developing markets. In South Africa, Coca-Cola has led with the introduction of 2- and 1.5-litre RefPET plastic bottles that can be refilled up to 14 times.
In Latin America the company also reports consumers embrac- ing its Universal Bottle scheme, which rewards them with a dis- count on their next purchase if they return the empty bottle. First introduced in Brazil, the scheme is now available in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Panama. The collected bot- tles are cleaned and relabelled at Coca-Cola own facilities, a model that it reports allows a single con- tainer to be used up to 25 times.
PERSONAL CARE
There are multiple drivers that are pushing personal care and
$53.5bn
Forecast total value in re-use/refill packaging by 2027
cosmetics brand to adopt refill- at-home models. There is a clear resonance between clean beauty messaging and more sustainable packaging, now backed by com- mitments to cut single-use plastics. Simultaneously the segment has seen a surge in e-commerce sub- scription services, to support repeat refill sales.
A typical refill concept for personal care involves an ergonomi- cally designed metal or durable plastic base pack that can be refilled and re-used multiple times. The refills are lightweight flexible pouches identical in volume to the original product, which consumers can swap into the base unit.
Skin care and hair care lines are already pioneering this trend, while colour cosmetics is poised to join them, with several reuse lip- stick concepts debuting in 2022. ■
For more information on this and other packaging industry reports, visit www.smithers.com
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SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2022 ❙ 13
INDUSTRY INSIGHT