The Weekender: Saving the World from Single Use Plastic - Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestlé, Pe
The Weekender features a longer form publication or multimedia production from a reputable source. We select articles or things to watch or listen to that discuss issues and opportunities we deem just off the radar for many business people, students, and faculty. We aim to expand the mind, broaden the heart, and sharpen the analysis. Have a great weekend!
Notes: from the World Economic Forum in Davos comes an old idea refashioned into something new. LOOP is a new initiative by Terracycle and involving some of the world's largest brands. Think of it like a closed-loop Amazon. I liked this article because it doesn't skirt the tough challenges and paradoxes, while suggesting the promise of moving away from single-use plastic containers. The piece also has nice multimedia pieces like video and infographics. Would be a great one to use in class.
LOOP is an important entrepreneurial experiment aiming to solve one of today's toughest challenges. Will be fun to follow along.
How to Solve the World's Plastics Problem: Bring back the milk man (CNN)
(Excerpt) Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Danone, Mars Petcare, Mondelez International and others — some of the world’s largest consumer goods companies — are partnering on a potential solution to limit future waste. They’re working together on a project known as Loop, announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday. It offers consumers an alternative to recycling — a system that isn't working well these days.
Consumer goods companies say their customers are demanding more environmentally-friendly packaging.
“We’re seeing that very clearly in our research,” said Procter & Gamble’s Helias, adding that wasteful packaging is “becoming a deterrent for purchase.”
Loop is a new way to shop, offering about 300 items — from Tide detergent to Pantene shampoo, Häagen-Dazs ice cream to Crest mouthwash — all in reusable packaging. After using the products, customers put the empty containers in a Loop tote on their doorstep. The containers are then picked up by a delivery service, cleaned and refilled, and shipped out to consumers again.
In other words, it’s the 21st century milk man — here to save the world from single-use plastics.
Maybe.