Planning For The End: Prioritizing Product Reuse And Recycling Can Help Your Business
TerraCycle Include USA Brita
Today’s retail landscape is characterized by a constant stream of product releases and innovation. Coupled with planned product obsolescence, this leaves the world with a massive amount of excess inventory and a growing stream of product waste. According to Sustainable Brands, the average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing each year. Importantly, the Wall Street Journal notes that product waste, particularly e-waste, not only ends up in U.S. landfills, but also in developing nations — creating a myriad of environmental and human health risks.
Yet retailers are well positioned to be at the forefront of waste reduction — without sacrificing business growth — by focusing on the end of a product's life from the start. In fact, a smart sustainability strategy can positively impact the retailer and the environment at the same time. By prioritizing product reuse, retailers may find that they can cut costs, while ensuring high-quality products and increasing brand loyalty.
Investing In Take-Back Campaigns
When retailers are transparent about their sustainability programs, they not only showcase ongoing efforts to reduce their environmental footprints, but they also strengthen long-term customer loyalty. Brita, the water pitcher and filtration company, for example, partners with the recycling company TerraCycle to provide customers with a free and easy recycling program. The program supplies customers with clear instructions on how to recycle Brita products and explains to customers how their old products will be repurposed as outdoor chairs, bike racks, park benches and more. The sustainability program clearly positions Brita as an environmentally conscious company, while also deepening customer loyalty by engaging them in an innovative initiative.