Plastic waste is an ongoing crisis across the globe. Not only does plastic waste affect the environment and animals; microplastics have now been discovered in human blood. In addition to this, if individuals, the government and businesses fail to seek alternative ways to reduce the use of plastic; the production is said to quadruple by 2050. Methods such as refill have risen as a solution to plastic pollution. For people to adapt and practise this, businesses and the government need to avail ways to promote refill to customers.
How can businesses promote refill and become eco friendly.
Businesses have an immense influence on customers and consumers. Numerous businesses are aware of the plastic waste crisis but what is being done to resolve this issue? Unilever and its partners have outlined four models for refillable and reusable consumer products. All these models are informing the pilot projects that they run. Unilever Food Solutions is also being explored by Unilever and this provides products for the hospitality sector and also saves plastic. The 4 models are:
- Refill at home: This is where the consumers reuse packaging that is by refilling at home
- Refill on the go: Where people go shop and refill their containers via dispenser systems at the store
- Return from home: Where consumers can arrange for the packaging to be taken from their homes and refilled
- Return on the go: This is when consumers bring back packaging and leave it at a drop-off point where its collected by manufacturers.
Other ways to promote refill:
1. To encourage people to buy refillable bottles, invest in reusable coffee mugs as this saves from the production of 500 billion takeaway coffee cups.
2. Encourage people to refill their empty laundry products at zero waste stores and fill up on everything
Smartfill aims to shape a sustainable world and makes the refill experience easier and also affordable by availing dispensers that allow people to use with their refillable containers and consequently eliminating the need to packaging.