Waikato small businesses ahead with reusable packaging systems

A report commissioned by Waikato Regional Council has found at least 95 different reusable packaging systems in use in the Waikato region for grocery-type items (or fast-moving consumer goods). 

Stocktake of reusable packaging for fast-moving consumer goods in the Waikato region, produced by Reuse Aotearoa, was commissioned as part of a programme of works identified in the Waikato Regional Waste Prevention Action Plan to reduce waste and support a circular economy. 

Waikato Regional Council’s Waste Prevention Adviser, Valerie Bianchi, said overall the stocktake showed that there were reuseable packaging systems available for consumers who sought them out, particularly in the hotspots of Hamilton City and Waipā, Waikato and Thames-Coromandel districts.  

“These systems are mainly for consumers who will go the extra mile, like they will take their own BYO containers for refills or they return empty milk bottles back  for a new bottle,” said Bianchi.  

“But these systems are mainly being offered by small and bespoke businesses –  it’s not something that is well integrated in mainstream grocery stores.” 

Regional councils have a legislative mandate to achieve integrated management of the region’s natural and physical resources and to regulate discharge of contaminants into the environment.  

Hannah Blumhardt, lead researcher of Reuse Aotearoa, said preventing waste reduced discharge of contaminants into the environment.  

“When they work well, reuse systems reduce waste and emissions by replacing throwaway packaging. For example, if one glass milk bottle is washed and filled 200 times, that’s 200 single-use plastic bottles that never needed to be created,” said Blumhardt. 

“This replacement effect reduces not just the physical waste product but the pressure on our natural resources to make the throwaway packaging, like trees for cardboard, or oil for plastic.”  

Common examples of reuse systems mentioned in the report are glass bottle swap systems for milk, grocery store bulk bins or refill stations where customers can fill their own reusable containers, or reusable pallets or produce crates to transport products to retailers. 

The reusable packaging options used in the Waikato originate from businesses inside and outside the region. Some local examples include Raglan-based Dreamview Creamery’s reusable glass bottles and jars for milk and yoghurt, zero waste stores like Bare Refill in Hamilton or Re-Store in Thames, and butchers that welcome BYO containers, such as Wholly Cow in Cambridge or Expleo in Te Awamutu. 

The report identified some overarching themes. 

• Reusable packaging systems are unevenly spread across the region. Hamilton City and Waipā, Waikato and Thames-Coromandel districts have the most reuse systems. 

• Some products have more reusable packaging options than others. For Waikato consumers, the products most easily accessible in reusable packaging are beer, milk, fresh produce and wholefoods. Well-known branded, processed and/or snack food products are hardest for consumers to find in reusable packaging. 

• Large-scale reusable packaging systems are usually those that occur behind-the-scenes in supermarket supply chains, for example, reusable pallets and produce crates. In contrast, small businesses or start-ups run most consumer-facing reuse or refill systems, which may make these systems less resilient. For example, the Waikato region has had several zero-waste grocery stores close down in recent years. 

• Stronger comms about existing reusable packaging systems would help increase awareness amongst Waikato consumers of available options in the region. 

• Providing more reuse infrastructure and services would help reusable packaging systems to grow, including collecting and washing empty reusable packaging between uses, and helping more retailers to accommodate refill systems in their stores.