TerraCycle CEO Tim Szaky recruited numerous companies, such as Nestle, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Danone, Mondolez International and Mars Petcare to work on a zero-waste project called “Loop.” It enables consumers to reuse their product packaging over and over.
How does it work? Loop acts as an online retailer delivering products in a reusable insulated tote bag. When they run out, customers put the empty containers back in the bag and leave it on their doorstep to be picked up, cleaned, refilled and delivered again.
So far, 300 items are available using this refillable packaging, including Tide detergent, Pantene shampoo, Haagen-Dazs ice cream, Tropicana orange juice, Crest mouthwash and Quaker oats. Prices won’t vary too much from in-store prices and packaging will be made of materials such as stainless steel, glass, aluminum and engineered plastic. Other participating brands include Nature’s Path Organic, Preserve, Seventh Generation, Greenhouse, Clorox, Cascade, Dove, Gillette, Febreeze and Oral-B. Nestle has also created a Haagen-Dazs container, which is designed to keep ice cream cold in the tote cooler for 24-36 hours. Many of these companies were targeted because they ended up on a Greenpeace list of the worst plastics polluters.
The hope is that more plastic-reliant companies take the lead and offer more sustainable options in the future. By reducing waste, we not only save money — we save and preserve the future of our planet.Read more about this program here.
