32 Being Green 1: Reusable packaging

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BEING GREEN 1: REUSABLE PACKAGING

There are two reasons to put your products into useful, reusable packaging. One is that it doesn’t go into landfi ll because people will keep it, and the other is that things with your brand name on will hang around for longer.

The idea The Japanese package things beautifully, but can get carried away with layer upon layer of delightful but expensive presentation. For example, you might be offered bean paste sweets with a wrapping of cellophane covering beautiful paper wrapped around a box that contains individually double wrapped confectionery.

This is a relatively modern move. Traditionally, the Japanese would present their gifts in a woven cloth; you would unwrap them, then give the cloth, called a furushiki, back to the giver.

The cosmetics company Lush has built its reputation of making solid products which need the very minimum of packaging, so they can spend their budget on lovely natural materials instead of containers. Most cosmetics costs are 80% packaging/20% materials. At Lush it’s 0–20% packaging/80–100% materials.

As Lush became successful in Japan, their Japanese staff felt uncomfortable selling unpackaged products as it’s rude not to wrap products, and even worse to present naked gifts. This was obviously an issue that needed to be solved, as Japan was overtaking the UK as Lush’s biggest market. The Japanese gifts team presented the idea

of gift-wrapping with furushikis as a solution to the problem.

Now at Lush you can have your gifts wrapped in a specially designed range of furushikis. You can reuse it or you can wear it as a scarf if you prefer. The UK name – “The Knot-Wrap” and it’s strapline, “We’re Knot-wrapping your presents” – were devised by Ruth Andrade, from Brazil and Pia Long, from Finland – to make it a truly international campaign, that helps to support the Lush brand’s green credentials.

In practice • This is not just thinking outside the box, it’s thinking with no box at all. It took a few attempts to get the Knot-Wrap idea to work, so get some creative thinkers together and give them time. • Bear in mind what the customers say they need, but don’t let that hold you back. Consider their needs then have to courage to do something better. • It’s one thing to make reusable packaging, and another to get people to reuse it. Reward customers with an incentive to bring their packaging back for a refi ll. (By the way, this doesn’t work for liquids. Not allowed. Washed out bottles don’t pass safety standards.)