Lentis/Zero-Plastic Retailing

Zero-plastic retailing is simple: no use of plastic. The most common form of zero-plastic retailing involves the use of no plastic bags in grocery stores, where shoppers bring their own reusable cloth or glass containers to carry food, or buy reusable containers at stores^[1]. Grocery stores have also resorted to providing paper bags as a substitute. Other forms of zero plastic retailing include removing plastic completely from packaging or selling items in bulk. This market in Italy, selling grains, pasta, spices, and fruit, provides an excellent example.

The first zero-plastic shop opened in London in 2007, and as of 2017, over 150 of these types of shops have opened. They’re mainly concentrated in Europe but have opened in the US, Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea. Openings have boomed in the later half of the 2010s, as shown by this graphic in Germany.

The term “zero-plastic” is often confused with “zero-waste”. Both retail strategies are environmentally successful, but have different restrictions. Zero-plastic supports packaging made from paper, cardboard, bamboo, cotton and other non-plastic alternatives; whereas zero-waste considers all single-use packaging to be environmentally harmful. The relationship between these terms is analogous to squares and rectangles. Just as a square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square, all zero-waste retailers are zero-plastic but not vice-versa.

In addition to the zero-waste subset, zero-plastic retailing is divided into two sectors: retail and e-tail. The retail sector includes in-person forms such as malls, supermarkets, warehouse, department, specialty, mom and pop, convenience, discount and dollar stores^[2]. The e-tail sector includes digital forms such as online portals, affiliates, marketplaces, subscription services, single-brand and delivery platforms^[3]. To provide a detailed analysis, the scope of this chapter is limited to the in-person retail sector.

Many different types of plastics are used, but high and low density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene are the most common^[4]. High density polyethylene, the most used plastic, is used in plastic bags, as well as for bottles of water and cleaning products. Low density polyethylene is used as film for bread products and fresh produce, as well as for condiment bottles. Polyvinyl chloride is used in meat packaging, and polystyrene is used for food service items like plates and utensils. Polypropylene are used for containers for perishable goods like medicine and takeout food, as well as bottle caps and closures. Polyethylene Terephthalate is used in plastic bottles, food jars, and ovenable/microwavable trays.

Reuse models as well as plastic substitutes help curb plastic use^[5]. Reuse models typically involve reusing bags or other packaging material for multiple uses. Goatote, for example, is a kiosk system that provides reusable bags for retailers. ChicoBag aims to provide compact, lightweight, reusable bags available at delivery, in-store, or curbside pickup. Returnity, primarily for e-commerce, designs and manufactures reusable packaging for products already on the market and provide an e-commerce platform to power how their bags and boxes are used.

Plastic substitutes have also been very successful in curbing plastic use, especially those that are biodegradable. Sway, using biodegradable seaweed-derived materials, provides an alternative to thin film plastics while matching the strength of performance of plastic bags. PlasticFri developed biodegradable bags made of recycled agricultural waste. Domtar developed a bio-based bag made completely out of cellulose fiber that is stretchable and stronger than traditional plastic bags and can withstand multiple uses.

Participants hold various opinions about this new concept. Some are proactively endorsing the eradication of plastic retailing, some are skeptical based on current scientific and statistical research, while others swing in the middle to find a balance with reduced plastic and more alternatives.

The participants that fully support this usually fall in the category of information and resource providers. These non-governmental organizations and companies promote businesses that embrace environmentally friendly conduct and educate the general public to switch their lifestyle.

This organization has three main agendas. They educate customers about how to identify sustainable businesses. They support businesses to become free of single-use plastic. They, as a not-for-profit organization, return all profits to developing affordable, effective, and accessible alternatives for plastic^[6]. The basis of their mission can be traced back to four claims: a) plastics never go away, b) plastic usage leaves chemicals in blood and causes cancer, c) plastic is harmful for marine animals and humans when we consume seafood, and d) plastic degradation emits greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change^[7].

EarthHero is an online marketplace that gathers store information and assists consumers to choose eco-friendly places. They provide advertisement for sustainably-run businesses. They strive to achieve environmentally friendly purchases while maintaining convenience, making sustainability a second nature in people’s mind. EarthHero makes the following claims about their business and product selection: a) better materials like organic hemp, bamboo, and recycled rubber, b) clean production with low impact dye, handmade products, and BPA free products, c) lower carbon footprint using recyclable and compostable packages.

Some participants seek critical evaluations. They investigate with scientific research and statistical analysis and suggest that plastic may not be worse than alternatives deemed to be more environmental-friendly depending on how people use them.

They inform people about better selections under the most up-to-date knowledge and technology. They concluded that paper and cloth bags are not necessarily more environmentally friendly than plastic bags because of the following reasons. a) Paper decomposes slowly in the landfill also. b) Paper production generates 70% more air and 400% more water pollutants than plastic. c) Paper bags are durable only for 4 times unwetted, while plastic can maintain strength for more than 2000 times. d) Paper needs more energy to recycle, and thus leave more impact. e) Cloth bags have more transportation emissions, grow bacteria and fungi when reused, and need to be reused for years to outweigh the benefit of plastic bags^[9].

This group includes mostly retailers that directly provide service. They respond to the trend while maximizing their profit and social impact.

As the first US grocer to ban plastic grocery bags and straws, their public relations claim to reduce single-use plastic to benefit the environment, customers, and suppliers. They make profits and opportunities for the community. So far, they have changed to 100% recycled paper bags, reusable grocery bags, compostable food containers, Styrofoam-free packages, and paper straws^[10].

Implementation of zero-plastic practices can occur for both new and existing businesses. In new businesses, zero-plastic use is often the company’s core value. Paper Water Bottle began on Kickstarter in 2016 with a mission to replace plastic water bottles. They were disturbed that 80 billion plastic bottles are produced yearly when each bottle takes 800 years to biodegrade. Their brand was built around zero-plastic use by offering a 98% landfill biodegradable bottle to compete with plastic bottle production.

Retailers do not always start their businesses with a zero-plastic strategy. While difficult, existing companies can use a zero-plastic strategy to rebrand their public image. Warsaw Saints began as a Polish unisex clothing brand committed to timeless fashion. The comfort, quality and style of their clothing was designed to last at least 10 years, but their packaging was not. In 2018, they decided to strengthen their sustainability identity by becoming completely plastic-free. They replaced all packaging with 90% recycled paper and certified wood boxes printed with water-based ink^[11]. Warsaw Saints demonstrated the possibility for small, existing businesses to convert to zero-plastic, but it is also possible for larger corporations.

In 2002, the president of Subaru’s Japanese parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, issued a zero-waste edict. Just three years later, Subaru’s factories achieved zero waste to landfill. Their manufacturing plant in Lafayette, Indiana became the first factory in the United States to produce zero landfill. Subaru has achieved zero-plastic waste with nearly one million vehicles produced annually across its supply chains. Damaged plastic polymer bumpers are ground up and recycled back to the molding machine. Components on their vehicles are even reported to be 96% reusable or recyclable^[12]. The efforts of Paper Water Bottle, Warsaw Saints and Subaru show that zero-plastic retailing can be implemented in small, large, new or existing businesses.

Zero-plastic retailing is reinforcing the bridge that recycling built between consumerism and sustainability. Retailers are providing a materialistic world with a familiar way to practice sustainability. Instead of suggesting a change in shopping behavior, zero-plastic retailing is introducing a new way to exhibit shopping behavior. This is a large-scale representation of using habit formation to address a problem rather than behavior change.

The scope of this chapter can be extended to include the e-tail sector, the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on zero-plastic retailing or an economic evaluation of the zero-plastic effect on businesses and the plastic industry.

1. ↑ Araripe, E. (2018, August 16). The Sustainable Market: How Zero-waste shops work. Believe Earth. Retrieved from https://believe.earth/en/the-sustainable-market-how-zero-waste-shops-work/.
2. ↑ Juneja, P. (n.d.). MSG Management Study Guide. Types of Retail Outlets. https://www.managementstudyguide.com/types-of-retail-outlets.htm.
3. ↑ Whitfield, H. (2021, October 5). 14 Different Types of Ecommerce Businesses: 2021. Website Builder Expert. https://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/building-online-stores/types-of-ecommerce-businesses/.
4. ↑ Resins and types of packaging. Advancing Circular Packaging. (2021, February 11). Retrieved from https://www.plasticpackagingfacts.org/plastic-packaging/resins-types-of-packaging/.
5. ↑ What Tomorrow's retail bag looks like. Closed Loop Partners. (2021, February 17). Retrieved from https://www.closedlooppartners.com/what-tomorrows-retail-bag-looks-like/.
6. ↑ Zero Plastic Organization (2019) About Us. Retrieved from: https://zeroplastic.org/about
7. ↑ Zero Plastic Organization (2019) Why we do. Retrieved from: https://zeroplastic.org/#why_we_do
8. ↑ EarthHero (2021) Impact. Retrieved from: https://earthhero.com/impact/
9. ↑ Bell, K., & Cave, S. (2011, February 23). Comparison of Environmental Impact of Plastic, Paper and Cloth Bags. Retrieved from: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/raise/publications/2011/environment/3611.pdf
10. ↑ Whole Foods Market (2021) Our Commitment to Reducing Single-use Plastics. Retrieved from: https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-in-action/environmental-stewardship/plastics-packaging
11. ↑ Packhelp. (2021, May 20). Eco mailer boxes: Warsaw Saints. https://packhelp.com/inspiration/warsaw-saints/.
12. ↑ Guynup, S. (2017, July 13). The Zero-Waste Factory. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/custom-media/scjohnson-transparent-by-design/zerowastefactory/.