Pilot Demonstrates Alternative To Disposable Plastic Shampoo Sachets
- John
- Jan 19, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 26
One of the most problematic forms of plastic pollution is the disposable plastic sachet. They’re used widely across Asia and in India some analysts say around 70% of all shampoo is sold in this disposable format[1].
Plastic sachets can't be recycled. They escape to waterways and in addition to clogging drains and exacerbating local flooding, they’re a primary cause of ocean microplastic.
They’re used mostly by MNC like Unilever, P&G and L'Oreal to sell products in a single use servings. These companies have come under increasing scrutiny with a series of damning reports, many focused-on Unilever that is the world's leading user of single use plastic sachets.
In 2022 Reuters released an exposé about the sachet problem and last year Greenpeace said ‘Unilever sells 1700 highly-polluting throwaway plastic sachets per second’ with the company expected to sell 53 billion sachets in 2023.
Priced very cheaply at around one to four pennies each, these companies say disposable plastic sachets are necessary since they’re the only way low-income groups can afford these products.
But a pilot in India suggests a reuse solution could work. Beat the Sachet, a not-for-profit project supported by REUSE FOUNDATION, is demonstrating that reuse not only works, it can match the sachet price point and moreover, is even preferred by consumers.
Beat the Sachet is currently expanding to test the scalability of its solution with the aim of preventing around a million sachets a year.
REUSE FOUNDATION will provide updates of the project as we progress. For now, we’d love to hear from companies that use plastic sachets who’d be interested in supporting, demonstrating, and testing a reuse solution. Contact us to know more.
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