P&G releases refillable packaging

The Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G), headquartered in Cincinnati, used the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, to announce a new partnership that further advances P&G’s Ambition 2030 sustainability goals.

P&G has partnered with Loop, a circular e-commerce platform developed by TerraCycle, Trenton, New Jersey, to introduce “collect and recycle” circular solutions designed to eliminate packaging waste. P&G says many of its largest global brands, including Pantene, Tide, Cascade and Oral-B, will participate in this platform later this year.

Loop is a global packaging and shopping circular solution designed by TerraCycle. It offers consumers the option to have their used product packaging collected from their doorsteps for recycling or reuse. P&G says it is the first consumer products company to join Loop.

P&G also has introduced reusable, refillable packaging for what it says are some of its most popular products. The company says the packaging is part of its effort to change the world’s reliance on single-use packaging and disposable waste.

P&G says its scientists and engineers have developed innovative manufacturing, packaging and distribution solutions that will make sustainable living easy for participating consumers. Eleven P&G brands will be available in Loop in one of three formats. The Loop system will be validated and optimized through real in-market learning experiments beginning in mid-2019 in New York and Paris, the company says.

P&G says durable and refillable packaging featuring new features and functionalities is available for its Pantene, Tide, Cascade and Crest brands:

• Pantene is introducing a bottle made with lightweight, durable aluminum for its shampoo and conditioner.
• Tide is participating in Loop with its Tide Purclean plant-based laundry detergent in a new durable bottle made from stainless steel with a simple twist cap and easy pour spout.
• Cascade has developed a new ultra-durable packaging for Cascade ActionPacs that enable consumers to skip the prewash.
• Crest Platinum mouthwash will be packaged in a refillable glass bottle.
• Ariel and Febreze will use durable, refillable packaging that also is available in stores, testing a new direct-to-consumer refill and reuse model.

Oral-B will test circular solutions for its electric rechargeable and manual toothbrushes. The manual Oral-B CLIC features a durable handle equipped with a mechanism that allows consumers to exchange the brush head. The Loop platform will recycle used brush heads for both manual and electrical brushes, P&G says.

Gillette and Venus will provide premium travel packs as durable packaging the consumer will keep in addition to the handle. The used parts and blades from these grooming products will be collected from consumers for further recycling by TerraCycle, P&G says.

Pampers and Always will test collecting used hygiene products from consumer homes for further recycling using proprietary technology developed by Fater SpA, a P&G and Italy-based Angelini Group joint venture. The technology turns used absorbent hygiene products into secondary raw materials for higher value applications, P&G says.

“We are building on more than 180 years of innovation and world-class consumer insight to enable responsible consumption at scale,” says Virginie Helias, P&G vice president and chief sustainability officer, says in a news release announcing the company’s packaging innovations. “We’re proud to partner with TerraCycle as the first CPG (consumer packaged goods) company to be part of this transformative program, which is just one of the many ways we are delivering on our Ambition 2030 goals to accelerate sustainable innovation and drive circular solutions.

“The time to act is now. We are passionate about harnessing the power of our global reach and the strength of our trusted global brands to scale-up more sustainable solutions,” she continues. “Transformative partnerships are key to achieve this mission as no one can succeed alone.”

“We are happy to partner with P&G and other global brands, retailers, infrastructure companies and the World Economic Forum to create a new way to more responsibly consume products,” says TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky. “Loop aims to not just eliminate the idea of packaging waste but greatly improve the product experience and the convenience in how we shop. Through Loop, consumers will be able to responsibly consume products in specially designed durable, reusable or fully recyclable packaging. Through the power and reach of trusted brands such as those of P&G, we will be able to change consumers' habits and achieve the scale required for the model to achieve its objectives.”

To use Loop, customers must go to the Loop website, https://loopstore.com, or Loop partner retailer’s websites to shop. They will receive their durable products in Loop’s exclusively designed state-of-the-art shipping tote that eliminates the need for single-use shipping materials such as cardboard boxes. As consumers finish their products, they place the empty package into one of their Loop Totes, and Loop will pick up the tote from their homes. Loop’s team of scientists has developed custom cleaning technologies so that each product can be safely reused. Loop replenishes products and returns the refilled shipping totes to the consumer. Recoverable used products, such as diapers, pads, razors or brush parts, will be reused or recycled.