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We need to eliminate packaging waste. My laundry detergent ran out, so I had to go get some more. Why am I throwing this big plastic jug back into the recycling

We need to eliminate packaging waste. My laundry detergent ran out, so I had to go get some more. Why am I throwing this big plastic jug back into the recycling loop? Why can't I just take it back to the store and fill it up again? I could use the same jug for years and years and years. How many of those jugs do you think are just going into landfills every day? I saw a link recently to a "bring your own container" type of grocery store that was in NYC. It was so small though, and I've never seen anything like that around where I live. We need something like that but on a massive scale to invoke a fundamental shift in the way every single person does grocery shopping. I don't see it happening any time soon though, unfortunately. I mean, how are plastic bags still legal in so many places? How are people still not using reusable grocery sacs at this point? It's just so frustrating to think about how many perfectly good containers are being thrown away every second of every day. Why are we so damn wasteful?!

japherwocky 16y ago
Michigan's deposit system is very effective at getting beverage containers recycled!
hugh3 16y ago
I saw a link recently to a "bring your own container" type of grocery store that was in NYC. It was so small though, and I've never seen anything like that around where I live. We need something like that but on a massive scale to invoke a fundamental shift in the way every single person does grocery shopping. That sounds less like giving people what they want and more like giving people what you think they ought to have. Correction: some people want this. Some people want to wear hair shirts of inconvenience in order to impress some narrow circle of like-minded friends with how environmentally-friendly they are. But there's a limited number of hair-shirt people out there, and there's already massive competition for their dollars.
- r0s 16y ago
  We need something like that... I think he's saying there should ideally be more demand, not that supply should be forced. narrow circle of like-minded friends There really are informed consumers out there who evaluate products based on all available information, and the people who trust them may take the lazy route and imitate. That can look like wankery if you dismiss informed consumption outright.
r0s 16y ago
My grocery store has a liquid detergent bulk refill. The down side is only one brand offers this, but it works fine so that's what I use. I drive about 15 minutes out of my way to go to this place, but it's worth it to me for many reasons. Plan ahead and you can do all your shopping for weeks in one trip. Another cool thing this place does is put out used boxes by the checkout, so their own waste gets recycled directly. If you forget your re-usable bag you can just grab a box and feel good about it.
byw 16y ago
I think a major hurdle is that beyond a certain income level, people don't want to be seen as stingy, and refilling/buying bulk is generally associated frugality more than altruism. In order to reach more people in developed countries you need to make things more upscale. You need high quality, long lasting, "designer" containers. Also, a trade-in program would help a great deal. Many people don't know they want something until they see it, and they hesitate to buy a new container on the spot if they already have one. If they can simply redeem their old ones for a large portion of credits it would put their minds at ease. The trade-in stations will need automated cleaning, since you can't guarantee their hygiene. In the end lazy folks will just swap in their dirty containers with clean ones every time they head for the shop, which also alleviates the mental hurdle of cleaning.
Tichy 16y ago
Yes and no - I've heard that it would actually be possible to build machines that would be very good at recycling garbage. Maybe that would be a more feasible solution?
- _delirium 16y ago
  Machines are getting better at separating recyclables from general waste streams, but the actual recycling part is still pretty tricky. Apart from a few "easy" things like aluminum cans, most stuff is hard to recycle in a way that's both economical and a net energy win.
nostrademons 16y ago
Safeway will give you a discount (yeah, it's only like a nickel or so) if you bring your own bags. I think many other grocery stores will too. It's very poorly advertised (though I'm starting to see flyers up), so most people still don't know about it. I've never seen a cashier complain about bringing your own bags, though.
clistctrl 16y ago
I agree completely with this! In addition look at beer bottles. Glass bottles are very robust. Most have the potential to last several reuses. Yet recycling them means smashing them, and remaking a bottle. That's never made sense to me.
- tjmaxal 16y ago
  it all comes down to cost benefit analysis most of the time.
- fletchowns 16y ago
  In other countries they clean and refill beer bottles. When you get a Corona in Mexico you can tell the same bottle has been used many times before. I guess we Americans are just too good to be drinking out of a beer bottle that has been used before? edit: interesting article related to this stuff http://thetyee.ca/Views/2008/03/11/OldBottles/ http://thetyee.ca/Views/2008/03/11/OldBottles/
  - pedalpete 16y ago
    I'm surprised to hear that American bottles aren't recycled, though I also didn't realize we are just washing ours (canada) and re-using them. I thought they were broken down, crushed up and re-made.
  - WarDekar 16y ago
    Same with Coke and other soda bottles in other countries. At least in Central America, anyway, as I've spent a lot of time down there and the Coke bottles are quite obviously several generations in. In fact you'll often see a copyright notice from 10 years ago or whatever. I didn't realize that didn't also happen in the states, though I guess glass bottles in general are really only used for beer (though I'd imagine if you go to the store and grab a 'Mexican Coke' you'll likely find it to be a recycled bottle, or at a taqueria or whatever).
  - orblivion 16y ago
    > In other countries they clean and refill beer bottles. I'm pretty sure I've heard of it in the US as well.

japherwocky 16y ago

Michigan's deposit system is very effective at getting beverage containers recycled!

hugh3 16y ago

I saw a link recently to a "bring your own container" type of grocery store that was in NYC. It was so small though, and I've never seen anything like that around where I live. We need something like that but on a massive scale to invoke a fundamental shift in the way every single person does grocery shopping. That sounds less like giving people what they want and more like giving people what you think they ought to have. Correction: some people want this. Some people want to wear hair shirts of inconvenience in order to impress some narrow circle of like-minded friends with how environmentally-friendly they are. But there's a limited number of hair-shirt people out there, and there's already massive competition for their dollars.

r0s 16y ago
We need something like that... I think he's saying there should ideally be more demand, not that supply should be forced. narrow circle of like-minded friends There really are informed consumers out there who evaluate products based on all available information, and the people who trust them may take the lazy route and imitate. That can look like wankery if you dismiss informed consumption outright.

r0s 16y ago

My grocery store has a liquid detergent bulk refill. The down side is only one brand offers this, but it works fine so that's what I use. I drive about 15 minutes out of my way to go to this place, but it's worth it to me for many reasons. Plan ahead and you can do all your shopping for weeks in one trip. Another cool thing this place does is put out used boxes by the checkout, so their own waste gets recycled directly. If you forget your re-usable bag you can just grab a box and feel good about it.

byw 16y ago

I think a major hurdle is that beyond a certain income level, people don't want to be seen as stingy, and refilling/buying bulk is generally associated frugality more than altruism. In order to reach more people in developed countries you need to make things more upscale. You need high quality, long lasting, "designer" containers. Also, a trade-in program would help a great deal. Many people don't know they want something until they see it, and they hesitate to buy a new container on the spot if they already have one. If they can simply redeem their old ones for a large portion of credits it would put their minds at ease. The trade-in stations will need automated cleaning, since you can't guarantee their hygiene. In the end lazy folks will just swap in their dirty containers with clean ones every time they head for the shop, which also alleviates the mental hurdle of cleaning.

Tichy 16y ago

Yes and no - I've heard that it would actually be possible to build machines that would be very good at recycling garbage. Maybe that would be a more feasible solution?

_delirium 16y ago
Machines are getting better at separating recyclables from general waste streams, but the actual recycling part is still pretty tricky. Apart from a few "easy" things like aluminum cans, most stuff is hard to recycle in a way that's both economical and a net energy win.

nostrademons 16y ago

Safeway will give you a discount (yeah, it's only like a nickel or so) if you bring your own bags. I think many other grocery stores will too. It's very poorly advertised (though I'm starting to see flyers up), so most people still don't know about it. I've never seen a cashier complain about bringing your own bags, though.

clistctrl 16y ago

I agree completely with this! In addition look at beer bottles. Glass bottles are very robust. Most have the potential to last several reuses. Yet recycling them means smashing them, and remaking a bottle. That's never made sense to me.

tjmaxal 16y ago
it all comes down to cost benefit analysis most of the time.
fletchowns 16y ago
In other countries they clean and refill beer bottles. When you get a Corona in Mexico you can tell the same bottle has been used many times before. I guess we Americans are just too good to be drinking out of a beer bottle that has been used before? edit: interesting article related to this stuff http://thetyee.ca/Views/2008/03/11/OldBottles/ http://thetyee.ca/Views/2008/03/11/OldBottles/
- pedalpete 16y ago
  I'm surprised to hear that American bottles aren't recycled, though I also didn't realize we are just washing ours (canada) and re-using them. I thought they were broken down, crushed up and re-made.
- WarDekar 16y ago
  Same with Coke and other soda bottles in other countries. At least in Central America, anyway, as I've spent a lot of time down there and the Coke bottles are quite obviously several generations in. In fact you'll often see a copyright notice from 10 years ago or whatever. I didn't realize that didn't also happen in the states, though I guess glass bottles in general are really only used for beer (though I'd imagine if you go to the store and grab a 'Mexican Coke' you'll likely find it to be a recycled bottle, or at a taqueria or whatever).
- orblivion 16y ago
  > In other countries they clean and refill beer bottles. I'm pretty sure I've heard of it in the US as well.