Elimination of packaging is a misstep in charge toward zero-waste world

elimination-of-packaging-is-a-misstep-in-charge-toward-zero-waste-world<p>So, there's this store that just opened in Texas. It's called <a href=http://in.gredients.com/>in.gredients</a>, maybe you've heard of it. This store isn't like any other run-of-the-mill grocery store. It doesn't quite fit the mold of a natural, locally grown, ma and pop place either. You could say it's a one-of-a-kind establishment, based on a fundamental hole in their framework ¦ there's no packaging.</p> <p>That's right “ produce, dairy products (cheese, milk), beverages (beer, wine), dry ingredients (grains, flour, sugar) and even cleaning products on display, all packaging-less.</p> <p>The thought of a world with zero waste is a happy one. If such things are possible, why not throw world peace into the scenario too? Then on Monday nights all seven billion of us could sit in one big circle, brush each other's hair and gab about American Idol (thanks for the zinger, Andy Sachs). Not the most practical or realistic of ponderings, but a happy thought nonetheless.</p> <p>The same could be said about the driving force behind in.gredients. It's a bright idea, just not a feasible one. Let's remind ourselves why, waste concerns aside, packaging is so important in the first place and realize just how difficult (seemingly impossible in some cases) it would be to live without it.</p> <h3>The purpose of packaging</h3> <p>Packaging isn't as straight forward as some might assume. The thing that holds your product is much more than just the thing that holds your product, so to speak. Packaging is multi-faceted, equipped with tools to protect, draw consumer attention and ensure convenience for all parties involved.</p> <h4><b> </b></h4> <h4><b>Protection</b></h4> <h4><b> </b></h4> <ul> <li>Packaging in its simplest form can be a protective barrier between the product and the outside world. Transportation from manufacturing point A to retail point B alone can be traumatic on a product. Some sort of packaging is typically used in this scenario anyway; you don't see a semi full of loose apples rolling aimlessly around a truck every day.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Specialized tamper-evident closures, liners and accessories can also provide an advanced level of security to the product. Ensuring that the standards under which the product was packaged originally are still intact upon delivery to the end user. In.gredients' no packaging approach calls all sorts of sanitation and medical (allergen) issues into question. When the product is open to the air and countless contaminants (dust, germs from hands and foreign containers) who knows what you're going home with.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Packaging also addresses protection from the elements and the great leveler, time. Temperature, moisture and atmosphere are a few of the main factors that influence shelf life. Without the protection of packaging the period before expiration will be much shorter.</li> </ul> <h4><b> </b></h4> <h4><b>Eye-Catching Design</b></h4> <h4><b> </b></h4> <ul> <li>Product packaging is the best sales tool imaginable. Well-designed artwork is capable of luring consumers in “ hook, line and sinker.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>A single sale is never the goal of a well-branded product. Recognizable packaging enables a product to build trust and inspire future loyalty to the brand. How are businesses supposed to develop a following in a packaging-free environment?</li> </ul> <h4><b> </b></h4> <h4><b>Convenience</b></h4> <h4><b> </b></h4> <ul> <li>Be honest now, who wants the hassle of bringing their own packaging to the grocery store?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>It's proven to be difficult enough for today's shoppers to bring their own reusable bags to haul away packaged groceries. Requiring consumers to bring multiple containers for each and every good may very well translate into a troublesome success rate for the business.</li> </ul> <p>In.gredients claims to promote a zero-waste purpose, but that promise has yet to become a reality. Undisclosed amounts of unused product are sure to be disposed of (wasted) due to damage done through in-store tussles or goods that couldn't reach the extended shelf life required without the protective barrier of packaging. Not zero-waste, just waste rearranged. It may not be in the form of packaging, but waste exists, no matter which route is taken. We can all take a note from in.gredients, overindulgence is non-essential, even in the packaging industry. But the solution lies in packaging <i>innovation</i>, not <i>elimination</i>.</p> <p><i><b>What do you think?</b></i></p>