{"id":49473,"date":"2024-06-07T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/?p=49473"},"modified":"2024-11-12T12:20:28","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T20:20:28","slug":"zero-waste-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/blog\/zero-waste-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build a Zero-Waste Economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Joseph Winters \u2022 This story was originally published by <\/b>Grist<\/b><\/a> on June 21, 2023. Sign up for Grist\u2019s weekly newsletter <\/b>here<\/b><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until Sarah Paiji Yoo became a new mother that her journey into plastic-free living really began.<\/p>\n

Specifically, it was the switch to baby formula that changed her worldview. Yoo had been breastfeeding her son for a few months and was looking to transition him to a dissolvable formula in 2018. But she found herself wondering what kind of water to mix it with \u2014 bottled<\/a> or tap<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There were no good options. \u201cI was horrified to learn that regardless of whether you drink tap water or bottled water here in the United States, our water contains hundreds of pieces of microplastics<\/a> per liter,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Yoo began connecting the dots, tracing those microplastics \u2014 tiny shards of plastic that form from the breakdown of larger plastic items \u2014 back to their source. Or rather, their many, many sources. Yoo was soon seeing plastic throughout her life: It held her child\u2019s vitamins, her toothpaste, the ketchup she kept in the fridge\u2026 \u201cIt\u2019s really everything,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The next few years would bring a deluge of new and alarming data about plastic\u2019s impact on people and the planet. Scientists began finding microplastics everywhere: in deep ocean trenches<\/a>, near the tops of remote mountains\u2026 In 2019, researchers in Australia even estimated that we ingest a credit card\u2019s worth of microplastics<\/a> every week, with unknown health effects. Other reports documented the ballooning impact of plastic pollution on marine life<\/a>, as well as plastic production\u2019s growing carbon footprint<\/a> and disproportionate harms against poor communities of color<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Moving Away from Plastics and a Single-Use Mentality<\/h2>\n
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Yoo was determined to do something about it. A self-described serial entrepreneur, she ended a self-imposed break from starting new businesses to cofound Blueland<\/a> in 2019. The company\u2019s mission is to eliminate unnecessary plastics from familiar cleaning and personal care products like dish soap, toilet bowl cleaner, and body wash \u2014 all of which it sells in concentrated tablet form<\/a>, shipped directly to customers in recyclable paper packaging.<\/p>\n

The tablets dissolve in water and can be used to refill Blueland\u2019s durable glass or ceramic bottles. Yoo said the bottles are intended to be \u201cthe last set\u201d of cleaning containers her customers ever buy: No more disposable plastic, no more pollution, no more hazardous tap water. \u201cWe don\u2019t take that lightly,\u201d she told Grist.<\/p>\n

Yoo is among a growing number of business owners who have aligned themselves with activists and policymakers who want to move the global economy away from plastics, which are rarely recycled<\/a> and are laden with toxic chemicals. The broader movement seeks to reduce plastic production, an urgent priority considering petrochemical companies\u2019 plans to triple the amount of plastic they make by 2060<\/a>. That scenario could cause more than 44 million metric tons of aquatic plastic pollution every year.<\/p>\n

But these advocates and entrepreneurs are also envisioning a future free from single-use items altogether. By promoting a \u201ccircular economy\u201d \u2014 patterns of consumption that reduce waste generation of any kind \u2014 they hope to eliminate not only single-use plastics but also disposable products made from paper and metal. Their vision will require whole new business models and supply chains that prioritize reuse \u2014 containers and dishware and shipping packages that can be used again and again rather than discarded after just a few minutes.<\/p>\n

Advocating for a Circular Economy<\/h2>\n

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation<\/a>, or EMF \u2014 a nonprofit that advocates for a circular economy \u2014 estimates that businesses have an opportunity to save some $10 billion<\/a> in material costs if they replace just 20% of their single-use plastic packaging with reusable alternatives.<\/p>\n

But the shift will also require buy-in from customers, who will have to embrace a host of unfamiliar products and practices. Some of these reusable solutions are relatively new inventions, like lightweight, concentrated formulas of familiar body care products, while others represent a return to systems that have been around for a long time: say, bringing your own container to the bulk aisle at the grocery store, or leaving glass bottles curbside to be picked up for cleaning and reuse, \u00e0 la the milkmen of generations past.<\/p>\n

American culture needs to \u201cdispose of that disposable mindset, where everything is to be used and thrown away,\u201d said Linda Corrado, a board member for the reuse nonprofit Upstream and an independent consultant in sustainable business strategies. She said she dreams of a day when plastic-free shopping is the default, where customers shop in stores that are \u201cjust one bulk bin after another.\u201d<\/p>\n

EMF has broken down the reuse market into four models<\/a> defined by who owns the packaging and where it gets refilled. To get a better sense of how the reuse revolution is taking shape, Grist spoke with representatives from businesses \u2014 some of which were previously highlighted in an EMF report \u2014 that are turning those models into a reality, and to customers who have tried their products.<\/p>\n

Some companies, like Blueland, are making plastic-free refills for soap available through the mail so customers can fill up their own empty containers. Others are setting up \u201creverse logistics\u201d infrastructure so people can borrow take-out containers and later return them to a drop-off location. All are trying to strike a balance, nudging consumers toward new habits while also making their systems as convenient as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith all of today\u2019s technology and innovative solutions,\u201d Corrado said, \u201cthe possibilities are endless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Refill at Home<\/h3>\n
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Broadly speaking, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation classifies reuse systems based on two factors: who owns the containers and where they\u2019re filled. With companies like Blueland, the customer owns the container \u2014 potentially one sold by Blueland for $8 to $11 (although, for many products, any old container will do). And because refills are ordered online and delivered straight to people\u2019s doorsteps, the system is labeled \u201crefill at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

The concept works for a wide range of products, particularly those that can be dehydrated into tablet or powder form: toothpaste<\/a>, mouthwash<\/a>, dishwasher detergent, etc. Getting rid of the water in these products means they don\u2019t have to be shipped around in huge plastic containers; customers just dilute them at home with water from the tap.<\/p>\n

These lightweight products take up less space and are easy to move around, said Jennifer Congdon, deputy director for the advocacy group Beyond Plastics and an avid user of low-waste products. Although toothpaste and detergent refills ordered online often come with a small amount of paper packaging, she said her family prefers them to traditional items from the store, which often come with a larger plastic footprint. \u201cWe\u2019ve reduced so much of our plastic consumption, which feels really good,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

There are refill-from-home systems that go beyond cleaning and body care, including some familiar ones that allow customers to re-create their favorite soft drinks and other beverages. SodaStream<\/a>, for example \u2014 which was acquired by PepsiCo<\/a> in 2018 \u2014 sells a machine that lets customers make their own carbonated water, which can then be turned into a sort of DIY root beer or cola with the addition of some concentrated flavor droplets. The brand Bevi<\/a> brings this concept to office spaces, dispensing customizable drinks from a contraption that looks kind of like a high-tech espresso machine.<\/p>\n

Companies like these refill at home models because they can boost brand loyalty. Once customers have made an initial investment in a company\u2019s reuse system, buying their containers or technology, they\u2019re less likely to switch to another one \u2014 at least in theory. Congdon says she feels \u201csome pull\u201d to return to her favorite reuse brands, but that she often switches between several options for different refillable products. Which one gets refilled is a matter of convenience, and sometimes she opts for products that can be refilled on the go \u2014 in a grocery store.<\/p>\n

Refill on the Go<\/h3>\n

Refill on the go, in which customers own their own reusable containers but fill them up at locations outside their homes, is arguably the most common reuse system. Just think of the now-ubiquitous water-bottle-refilling station, or reusable shopping bags that you bring to the supermarket. Many cities now have entire stores dedicated to this reuse model, often called zero-waste stores or refill stores<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Miriam Gordon, a strategist for the nonprofit Story of Stuff Project, which advocates for policies to reduce plastic pollution, shops at a co-op grocery store in San Francisco that carries many of its products in bulk. She brings reusable containers from home to fill with everything from spices to honey and vinegar. \u201cThere are all kinds of things\u201d to refill, she said. \u201cIt\u2019s really exciting to be able to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many consumers also find it exciting to compare the per-pound prices of packaged versus bulk goods and to save money on in-store grocery refills. Some bulk products like spices can cost just a quarter of their prepackaged counterparts by weight.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say there aren\u2019t still challenges. First of all, shoppers have to actually remember to bring their reusable bags and containers \u2014 it\u2019s not refill on the go if you use those paper or plastic baggies that most stores offer in the bulk section. Containers then have to be inspected and weighed by store clerks before they can be refilled. All this takes extra time and forethought that most shoppers aren\u2019t accustomed to.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not the average consumer,\u201d Gordon acknowledged. Although she\u2019s willing to take on some inconveniences for the sake of reuse \u2014 like schlepping around a heavy load of stainless steel, glass, and ceramic jars every time she does a grocery run \u2014 not everyone feels the same way. For in-store refills to catch on more widely, Gordon said she\u2019d like to see stores offer their own reusable containers, which customers could borrow and return later.<\/p>\n

Businesses face additional challenges in communicating the cost savings of bulk, particularly for concentrated products. For Meliora, a cleaning product company that sells soap sticks and tablets, the price-per-ounce label that\u2019s required in many states can be misleading. They make concentrated products look deceptively expensive, said Kate Jubkas, Meliora\u2019s founder \u2014 especially when compared with their watered-down competitors, even though they may actually cost less on a per-use basis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe price is going to look high for a tiny little package\u201d of dissolvable soap, Jubkas said, even if one package is enough to fill three normal-sized bottles of all-purpose cleaner.<\/p>\n

Running Up Against Bulk Food Health and Safety Regulations<\/h2>\n
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In some cases, restrictive health regulations give customers no choice but to use disposable packaging. While refill on the go is relatively straightforward for nonedible goods like soap and shampoo, public health departments in many places bar stores from letting people use their own containers for food. Instead, they\u2019re required to offer disposable tubs or bags, meaning many bulk food systems aren\u2019t actually advancing a circular economy<\/a>. In Washington, it wasn\u2019t until late 2020 that an update to the state\u2019s food code finally began allowing customers to bring their own containers to the bulk section, as long as a cashier visually inspected each one before use. Even now, the containers are only allowed for select items.<\/p>\n

Aimee Simpson, formerly the senior director of advocacy and product sustainability for a small chain of grocery stores in the Seattle area called PCC, said the state still prohibits their customers from filling up reusables with foods deemed ready to eat, a category that includes many bulk favorites like nuts and granola, as well as the entire hot bar. There are also separate rules for bulk foods that have to be scooped and those that operate by gravity \u2014 as in when you pull a lever to release food from a narrow chute. (The rules are stricter for scoops since they present a greater risk of cross contamination.)<\/p>\n

Advocates for reusables nationwide say there\u2019s a labyrinth of bulk food safety regulations that may or may not be enforced, confusing customers from state to state and from store to store. People \u201creally, really want to bring their own containers\u2026 but they\u2019re getting mixed messages,\u201d said Heather Trim, executive director of the nonprofit Zero Waste Washington. Bills in several states aim to bring clarity by allowing reusables in more situations. In Oregon, for example, Governor Tina Kotek recently signed a law<\/a> directing the state\u2019s health authority to write rules allowing consumers to bring their own containers to restaurants so they can be filled with food.<\/p>\n

Return from Home and Return on the Go Containers<\/h2>\n

For the other two kinds of reuse systems, known as return from home and return on the go, businesses own the containers, rather than individuals. The biggest hurdle in these cases isn\u2019t necessarily customer buy-in; it\u2019s logistics.<\/p>\n

In the so-called linear economy, products fly off the shelves wrapped in cheap plastic and paper that companies don\u2019t have to keep track of. The packaging becomes someone else\u2019s responsibility \u2014 to discard, to recycle \u2014 the minute it reaches a customer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very efficient in selling products to consumers,\u201d said Clem Schmid, general manager of Loop, a self-described \u201cglobal reuse platform\u201d that partners with major brands and retailers. \u201cThis part of the supply chain\u2026 has been optimized to death for 60 years. But returning products back to where they started is virtually a virgin land today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unlike single-use packaging, company-owned reusable containers have to be fastidiously tracked, washed, inventoried, restocked, and refilled. All of this requires infrastructure that many companies have simply never built.<\/p>\n

Rather than figure out all those steps on their own, businesses commonly hire a third party to do it for them.<\/p>\n

Third-Party Reverse Logistics Companies<\/h2>\n
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Loop, for example, helps its corporate clients set up the \u201creverse logistics\u201d infrastructure that forms the backbone of returnable packaging systems. In one of Loop\u2019s most prominent partnerships, with Walmart locations in northwestern Arkansas, customers can order a small number of food and body care products \u2014 things like ketchup and laundry detergent \u2014 that are packed in reusable squeeze bottles and canisters. In this return from home model, customers pay a small deposit, usually between $1 to $3, that gets refunded after a Walmart employee picks up the empty containers from people\u2019s homes.<\/p>\n

The system is particularly promising for restaurants and caf\u00e9s, which can participate together in a third-party reuse program that would be too complicated to manage on their own. Heather Watkins, cofounder of the Portland, Oregon-based company Bold Reuse<\/a>, said many food service locations lack the kind of dishwashing infrastructure that\u2019s necessary for them to go fully reusable.<\/p>\n

Bold Reuse helps by offering a subscription service for restaurants, which can sign up to replace either some or all of their single-use dishware with reusable inventory. Participating businesses can decide to charge customers a returnable deposit to \u201cborrow\u201d the dishes, which are later handed off to Bold Reuse for cleaning off-site. Starbucks ran a pilot program like this in Seattle in 2021, where it gave customers the option of paying a $1 deposit for a reusable cup that could be returned at drop-off kiosks. (Bold Reuse handled the cleaning<\/a>.) Starbucks says it wants to implement the program in all its Europe, Middle East, and Africa locations by 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Companies Can Save Money and the Environment with Returnable Packaging<\/h2>\n

The business owners Grist spoke with were evasive when asked whether customers ever forgot to return their packages, but none seemed overly concerned about losing their inventory. That may be because many such programs involve inexpensive reusable polypropylene containers, which are less wasteful than single-use but are still made of plastic. Critics note that, at the end of their life, these containers will likely have to be downcycled into lower quality plastic products like carpeting. Other materials like glass and stainless steel are preferable from a sustainability standpoint, but companies may hesitate to use them since they would require higher deposit fees to discourage theft.<\/p>\n

It sounds like a lot of work, but there are reasons beyond good PR for companies to embrace returnable packaging. Watkins said her clients see it as a \u201chuge opportunity\u201d to meet their waste diversion and greenhouse gas mitigation targets, since plastics, made from fossil fuels, have a heavy carbon footprint. Returnables can also be a money saver, since they free companies from endlessly recurring purchases of single-use packaging.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe meet or beat single-use,\u201d Watkins told Grist. She said return on the go reduces some of her clients\u2019 packaging costs by 70%.<\/p>\n

Returnable Packaging Systems Are Good for Customers, Too<\/h2>\n
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Created with the help of DALL-E<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although returnable packaging systems are still geographically limited \u2014 they\u2019re usually only available to those living in major cities \u2014 consumers who have access to them report big benefits. Consumers who were formerly lugging around a heavy collection of jars and other containers might no longer have to do so, while others report a sense of relief from not having to decide how to responsibly dispose of their take-out boxes. Small deposit charges might deter some people from choosing a returnable package, but it can also feel good to see that money returned, as if it\u2019s a kind of reward.<\/p>\n

Gordon, with the Story of Stuff Project, said the return from home systems she\u2019s participated in have been \u201csuper convenient.\u201d One company, Dispatch Goods, drew her in when she learned in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic that it was partnering with local Bay Area restaurants to offer take-out meals in returnable containers. The $3 deposit she paid per container was quickly refunded after a courier picked up the empty containers from her home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ended up doing all my take-out orders from the restaurants that offered Dispatch Goods containers, and my level of takeout really increased,\u201d Gordon told Grist. She got \u201cpizza, Indian food, Burmese food, salads. It was great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Corporate Interests Are Stalling Plastic Reduction<\/h2>\n

As some of the most enthusiastic consumers incorporate reuse into their lives, big brands also seem to be recognizing the growth potential for reusable products. In the beverage sector, Coca-Cola<\/a> and Pepsi<\/a> announced targets last year to sell 25 and 20% of their beverages globally through reusable systems, respectively. Coca-Cola, for example, plans to deploy more \u201cFreestyle<\/a>\u201d machines \u2014 basically, soda fountains that can dispense soft drinks into a refillable cup.<\/p>\n

Environmental advocates note, however, that more systemic solutions are needed to fill in the gaps of what\u2019s currently a patchwork of private-sector reuse programs. \u201cThere\u2019s only so much that voluntary initiatives can do,\u201d said Mark Buckley, strategic design manager for EMF. EMF\u2019s own voluntary initiative for companies to cut back on single-use plastic \u2014 the \u201cGlobal Commitment\u201d \u2014 showed in its most recent annual report that its members have made almost zero progress<\/a> in reducing virgin plastics use since 2018 and will \u201calmost certainly\u201d miss 2025 targets for scaling up reusable, recyclable, and compostable packaging.<\/p>\n

Plastics recycling, greenwashing, and deceptive lobbying raise additional concerns. Even as plastic companies advertise initiatives to move toward reuse, they and their lobbying groups have spent hundreds of millions of dollars<\/a> to keep single-use plastics in play. <\/a>Most plastics aren\u2019t truly recyclable, and a growing body of research shows that plastics recycling can harm low-income communities of color<\/a> and keep thousands of hazardous chemicals in circulation<\/a>, but the industry still<\/a> promotes plastics recycling<\/a> as part of a circular economy. A survey<\/a> conducted in February showed that a majority of Americans don\u2019t trust the industry to address plastic pollution without government enforcement.<\/p>\n

Consumers Must Demand and Fight for Zero-Waste Options<\/h2>\n
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Congdon, with Beyond Plastics, said it\u2019s important for consumers to not only demonstrate demand for reusable products but to fight for policies that tip the scales away from plastics. Individual action is necessary, she said, but it should serve as \u201cfuel for that fire that burns in us to make bigger change.\u201d This could include updating health codes that keep reusables out of grocery stores, restricting companies\u2019 use of plastic packaging, or passing policies to make reusables more cost-competitive by increasing the price of virgin plastics.<\/p>\n

Trim, with Zero Waste Washington, said these measures could help \u201cinstitutionalize\u201d some of the reuse infrastructure that\u2019s being laid out by the private sector. Specific examples include the WRAP Act<\/a> in Washington state, which would, among other things, set up a statewide deposit return system for beverage bottles and require companies to redesign packaging so it\u2019s reusable, recyclable, or compostable. The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act<\/a> of 2021 would have implemented a national bottle bill at the federal level, but it never moved out of committee. (<\/i>Editor\u2019s Note:<\/i><\/b> The bill has been <\/i>referred to a number of subcommittees<\/i><\/a> and has yet to be voted on as of May 2024.)<\/i><\/p>\n

One beacon of hope: Americans across the political spectrum support policies to address plastic pollution, including by replacing single-use plastic with alternatives. That same poll from February, conducted by the progressive think tank Data for Progress, showed that a majority of voters want to reduce overall plastic production and ban single-use plastic items. Nearly 80% of voters want a return on the go reuse system for their community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bipartisan issue to reduce waste,\u201d Trim said. \u201cIf we can reduce, we can move to refillables.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tell us in the comments:<\/h4>\n