4 ms·

I'm all for solutions to this, but I just can't see this taking off. Loop seem to be trying to be too much of the process (I don't want to buy from them), and t

I'm all for solutions to this, but I just can't see this taking off. Loop seem to be trying to be too much of the process (I don't want to buy from them), and trying to piggy back on widescale infrastructure such as UPS (whereas I want my council to collect these as part of my regular waste collection). I think a combination of more standardised packaging, more recyclable packaging, and more local support for things like re-usable glass containers with deposits (as are common in Germany) are the way forward. Of course brands won't like this, because when every bottle of shampoo comes in the same shaped container it's much more difficult to differentiate between brands.

dao- 8y ago
> re-usable glass containers with deposits (as are common in Germany) These containers are for recycling glass, not for reusing bottles. Reusable bottles need to be brought back to the store, which Loop appears to be planning for too.
- majewsky 8y ago
  As a fellow German, I can see why this is confusing, but GP's "glass containers with deposits" refers to Pfandflaschen, not to Altglascontainer. "Deposit" is English for "Pfand".
bloak 8y ago
Standardising glass containers for the EU has been talked about, and has even happened to some extent: bottled water in Germany, for example. Apart from spirits (Baileys, Cointreau, ...) and some beers, not that many brands use a seriously distinctive glass container in the UK, though there are notable exceptions, like Marmite and its imitators. I don't think many brands would want to be seen as opposed to protecting the environment. Plastic containers are recycled in the UK, rather than reused. Shampoo would presumably not be affected. A glass container for shampoo would be problematic as thousands of people get shampoo in their eyes in the shower, drop the bottle, stand on the broken glass, slip on the blood, and so on. Now, if they could require different types of bottle for shampoo, conditioner and bubble bath that might prevent certain incompetent persons from constantly picking up the wrong one in the shop.

dao- 8y ago

> re-usable glass containers with deposits (as are common in Germany) These containers are for recycling glass, not for reusing bottles. Reusable bottles need to be brought back to the store, which Loop appears to be planning for too.

majewsky 8y ago
As a fellow German, I can see why this is confusing, but GP's "glass containers with deposits" refers to Pfandflaschen, not to Altglascontainer. "Deposit" is English for "Pfand".

bloak 8y ago

Standardising glass containers for the EU has been talked about, and has even happened to some extent: bottled water in Germany, for example. Apart from spirits (Baileys, Cointreau, ...) and some beers, not that many brands use a seriously distinctive glass container in the UK, though there are notable exceptions, like Marmite and its imitators. I don't think many brands would want to be seen as opposed to protecting the environment. Plastic containers are recycled in the UK, rather than reused. Shampoo would presumably not be affected. A glass container for shampoo would be problematic as thousands of people get shampoo in their eyes in the shower, drop the bottle, stand on the broken glass, slip on the blood, and so on. Now, if they could require different types of bottle for shampoo, conditioner and bubble bath that might prevent certain incompetent persons from constantly picking up the wrong one in the shop.