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Will consumers pay more for reusable packaging to save the planet?

Miles Bryan Aug 28, 2019
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A Loop order is filled at the company's Trenton, New Jersey, warehouse. Miles Bryan/Marketplace

Will consumers pay more for reusable packaging to save the planet?

Miles Bryan Aug 28, 2019
A Loop order is filled at the company's Trenton, New Jersey, warehouse. Miles Bryan/Marketplace
HTML EMBED:
COPY

About 30% of the municipal garbage in the United States is packaging. Recycling barely makes a dent in it — according to the Environmental Protection Agency, only about 9% of plastic gets recycled.

The New Jersey service Loop is aiming to cut out the need to recycle by offering consumer products from well-known brands in reusable packaging.

Crest mouthwash in Loop’s reusable packaging. (Miles Bryan/Marketplace)

The products are currently only available in the U.S. to East Coast residents through Loop’s online store, but the service says Walgreens and Kroger will introduce its products onto their shelves next year.

Loop is aiming to reach a mass market, but it isn’t yet clear if its products, which currently tend to be slightly more expensive than their single-use counterparts and require a packaging deposit, will have broad appeal.

Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

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