I imagine all plastics will be out of the question. I’m wondering about what ways food packaging might become regulated to upcycling in the domestic or even commercial space. Assuming energy remains a $ scarce $ commodity I don’t imagine recycling glass will be super practical as a replacement. Do we move to more unpackaged goods and bring our own containers to fill at markets? Do we start running two way logistics chains where a more durable glass container is bought and returned to market? How do we achieve a lower energy state of normal in packaging goods?
I don’t see this happening. Peak covid killed it and it hasn’t bounced back. And covid-19 is not the last time we’ll see a coronavirus reach epidemic levels.
Local dairy companies already do this. I don’t see scaling up to regional, national, and international companies would make financial sense for them unless governments levy some heavy taxes to incentivise it.
I think we’ll see more quick-degrading packaging materials, but again, will probably require some taxes or penalties to incentivise it because it is more costly than the stuff that kills fish or takes centuries to break down.
This used to seem like a good idea to me too, and from what I’ve since learned, it seems all grocery stores used to operate this way. Sergei on the Ushanka Show YouTube channel said Soviet stores ran that way too until the end of that era.
The problem which becomes clear when you think about it, is imagine if you had to wait in the deli counter line for half of your purchases. The store only has so many employees, and everything you want needs to be measured. That’s a ton of time and labor. Do you want to wait in line for any item not sold in a one size only unit?
Swapping used containers (like we do with 20 lb propane tanks, leave an empty or pay extra, take a full) or compostable wrapping like rice paper or waxed paper seem to be the best shot to save time and material.
Unpacked goods tend to have a lower shelf life so can lead to more wastage. It needs a holistic analysis from farm to table to work out the best trade offs for reducing waste.
The co-op supermarket in my city sells cleaning chemicals (shampoo, hand wash, floor cleaner, laundry detergent…) as refills for whatever suitable container you bring
My co-op and WinCo sell olive oil, vinegar, honey, and more as refills in addition to cleaning stuff.