Meet two Illinois businesses committed to reducing plastic and packaging waste

Many consumers find it difficult to avoid plastic packaging in their everyday lives despite the rising toll of plastic pollution on our health, wildlife and environment. Now, a new wave of businesses are successfully reducing or eliminating single-use plastic packaging via returnable packaging, refill stores and product innovations.

To wrap up a month’s worth of plastic reduction actions this July, Environment Illinois was joined by Flourish Juice Co. and The Refilleri at a virtual panel discussion to discuss these new types of businesses that are reducing single-use plastic waste. During the July 26th event the panel discussed a recent report that explains no-waste and low-waste business models, shares case studies and demonstrates ways to reimagine our relationship with plastic.

Every day, the world produces an astronomical 3.5 million tons of solid waste, roughly 12% of which is plastic. An estimated 36% of that plastic is used in packaging, including products widely used in the restaurant and take-out industry designed to be used once and then thrown out. Right here in the Great Lakes, an estimated 11 million pounds of plastic enter Lake Michigan each year. It’s clear that we need to find ways to reduce our consumption of single-use plastics.

Three especially promising options for reducing the use of plastics in retail and food service are:

• Refill stores: At these “refilleries,” customers use refillable containers to take as much or as little of a product as they need and pay by quantity.
• Returnable packaging: Containers designed to be sent back to the retailer or manufacturer once they have been used to be cleaned, refilled, and used again.
• Liquid product redesign: Everyday items such as dish soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, and toothpaste consist predominantly of water. Remove the water, and these products will no longer need to be in bottles. Though still relatively rare in mainstream stores, solid versions of traditionally liquid products are increasingly easy to find.

When talking to the owners of The Refilleri and Flourish Juice Co. both Kelli and Kaitlin explained how their businesses showcased one of these options and explained how they were able to limit their plastic usage while still being a successful business.

In addition to sharing their own personal experiences with founding businesses that focus on returnable and refillables, the panel shared thoughts on how government can help to encourage more businesses like theirs. Some of the policies that were mentioned included eliminating some of the worst kinds of single-use plastics so that all businesses need to use more sustainable packaging. The panel also discussed providing financial support in the form of grants, rebates and tax incentives to businesses seeking to develop and implement low- and zero-waste forms of retail and food service. A future with less plastic waste will require rethinking of how consumer products are packaged and sold, but these businesses are giving us a glimpse of what could be to come if we invest in that future.