Why do not businesses use reusable packaging?

Packaging is known as the protective layer of the product in the process of reaching the user. And its life cycle usually ends when the product is used. And then the packaging often becomes garbage. Currently, with consumers' environmental concerns higher than ever, limiting waste pollution, especially plastic waste, is one of the top concerns. Reusable packaging is one solution. However, many businesses are still afraid to switch from disposable packaging. What is their reason?

What is reusable packaging?

Packaging helps protect and preserve products during storage, transportation, and sale. Conventional packaging that ends its life cycle when the product is used is called disposable packaging.

Disposable packaging ends its life after the product is used

Packaging lifecycle

Contrary to it, reusable or disposable packaging is the type that can be recovered and reused to package the next batch of products. Therefore, its life cycle can be extended to the point of failure. This type of packaging is said to reduce pollutant emissions.

The reason why businesses have not used reusable packaging yet?

With the increasing concern of consumers about environmental issues, especially in developed countries, more and more solutions to reduce waste in the environment are offered. One of them is the change from disposable packaging to reusable packaging. However, businesses seem not yet ready for the transformation.

Reusable packaging can be reused (refilled)

Lifecycle of reusable packaging

Businesses have many concerns when converting traditional packaging to reusable packaging. The 4 biggest concerns that can be mentioned are:

Financial viability for the transformation of the packaging system.

Potential hazards and complications related to consumer health and safety.

Risk of harm to the brand if this solution does not make a better impact on the environment.

Current legislation creates better competition for disposable packaging. Many places tax packaging by volume. That results in reusable packaging being taxed more. Because increasing packaging strength means increasing weight.

And to encourage and promote the transformation of the packaging system, it is difficult for any individual company to complete on their own.

Solutions to drive conversions

Reusable packaging can bring many benefits beyond just the environment. Reusable packaging consumes more energy and costs more to produce. But once packaging production can be used to repack many times. The cost of recalling, cleaning, and repacking will certainly be much cheaper than the cost of producing new one-time packaging.

According to a study in the journal Sustainable Production and Consumption, to encourage and motivate the use of reusable packaging, a tracking system needs to be established.

An electronic passport system that tracks packaging encourages conversion by:

Allows businesses to calculate packaging lifecycle and profitability.

Control the process from reuse to packaging new products and back to the shelf.

Helps to calculate the number of reuses of a package. This parameter can be used for brand marketing.

A reusable package can be repackaged many times before the end of its life. This will reduce a large amount of carbon footprint compared to disposable packaging.

Concluding

Currently, an environmental tax is usually levied when a package of it is put up for sale. With

digitization and tracking, existing businesses can avoid paying taxes. Each packaging that is reused for packaging can be exempted from the second tax if the enterprise can show proof that it is not a newly manufactured package. To do so, the state also needs to coordinate the introduction of taxes to encourage the use of reusable packaging. This is both beneficial for the environment and reduces the cost of producing more packaging and consuming more energy.