Reusable packaging: sustainable future or exaggerated myth?

What is behind the idea of reusability? Is this packaging really sustainable?

One of the hottest trends in packaging in recent years is the use of reusable packaging, whose popularity has been growing because it is considered sustainable. Whether these materials are indeed more eco-friendly compared to traditional types of packaging, such as rigid and flexible packaging, remains to be proven.

While reusable packaging, such as circular economy projects like LOOP, may seem very appealing at first glance, the weight and carbon footprint of these heavier packaging containers have garnered both public approval for their recyclability and criticism from researchers studying the impact of these high-carbon experiments.

Whether reusable packaging is genuinely more sustainable than traditional flexible packaging remains a question for debate.

What Is Reusable Packaging?

Reusable packaging is made from durable materials such as metal. It is specifically designed for repeated use until the container reaches the end of its life cycle, at which point it is recycled or disposed of.

The idea behind reusable packaging is that it is more sustainable because it can be refilled multiple times throughout its lifecycle, resulting in reduced production of new materials. For this reason, it is often marketed as more sustainable compared to traditional packaging materials like rigid or flexible packaging.

For example, the LOOP project.

LOOP is a modern adaptation of the milkman model from the past. Back then, milkmen delivered glass bottles of fresh milk to people's homes. Consumers would drink the milk and keep the empty bottles. The next time the milkman visited, he would deliver new bottles of fresh milk and collect the used ones. These bottles were cleaned, sterilized, and refilled with fresh milk. This cycle continued for years until refrigeration technology replaced the need for milkmen.

We can say with some confidence that the milkman’s glass bottles were one of the first types of reusable packaging on the market.

Today, instead of the milkman, you might see a UPS driver delivering products from various companies (e.g., Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, etc.) and then returning a week later to collect the used packaging. These are sent back to LOOP to be sterilized, refilled, and reused again.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Recyclable materials being reused repeatedly, creating a closed loop in the circular economy?

There’s just one problem—whether this process is truly sustainable. While consumers feel good believing that reuse and recycling are entirely eco-friendly, the reality of the carbon footprint involved in this process tells a different story.

Are Reusable Packaging Options Sustainable?

While using 100% recyclable containers repeatedly until the end of their life, at which point they are recycled, sounds environmentally friendly, the facts suggest otherwise. This is because fully recyclable materials used in initiatives like LOOP and similar projects (such as metal, glass, and cardboard) generate significantly more carbon during production, transportation, and recycling or disposal compared to most flexible packaging materials like shrink film.

Transporting heavy glass and metal containers on roads creates a far greater environmental impact than single-use polymer packaging like flexible pouches.

In the end, most reusable packaging is simply not a more sustainable choice compared to flexible packaging alternatives, which produce significantly less carbon. It could be argued that if the technology behind these materials allowed for the creation of packaging and containers light enough to reduce the carbon footprint of reusable packaging below that of flexible packaging, they might become viable.

Until then, this is simply not the case.

Are You Looking for Sustainable Packaging?

While it may be disappointing to discover the complex reality that reusable packaging is not a suitable solution to your problem, you still need to find something that helps your business achieve its sustainability goals.

What Are Flexible Packaging Options?

Flexible packaging refers to packaging made from polymer materials known for their flexibility or ease of bending, which can change shape when manipulated. These materials are primarily used to package consumer goods to protect, advertise, and distribute a wide range of products.

Most types of flexible packaging materials boast the lowest carbon footprint compared to the most popular alternative materials, including glass, metal, cardboard, paperboard, and more.