Museum of Design in Plastics: Reuse: Not Single Use

Since the introduction of the first disposable hot drinks cups by American company DART in the mid 20^th century, the consumer has become used to the concept of single-use.

Dart Manufacturing Company was established in 1937 in Mason, Michigan, USA making plastic key cases, steel tape measures and ID tags for the armed services. In the late 1950s they began experimenting with expanded polystyrene which led to the development of the first insulated foam cups. In 1963 the company changed its name to Dart Container Corporation and initially focused solely on producing foam cups subsequently adding new products and materials. Production expanded throughout the USA over the following decades and in its first 50 years, Dart grew to become a global corporation with a range of more than 600 products for the food services, retail and food packaging industries. Of course, Dart are not the only company manufacturing such containers. A 2022 report by FMI (Future Market Insights) estimated that by the end of that year the global takeaway container market was expected to reach a valuation of US$ 21.3 Billion, and continue to rise, with plastic packaging to account for the major portion.

However, what we once considered a safe, effective, convenient and cost-effective method of serving and delivering fast food is now being thought of as problematic, as we begin to realise the devastating effects of the careless disposal of this type of packaging can have on the environment, and grapple with the associated difficulties and costs of collecting and recycling or disposing of it.

Responding to public demand for change there are now, increasingly, a number of closed-loop schemes whereby containers that were once expendable, are returned for cleaning and reuse. Designed to be robust and long lasting, some of these containers are expected to be re-used up to 1000 times and then at the end of their useful life they are recycled. These closed-loop systems work especially well in environments such as works canteens and universities or takeaway restaurants. A small deposit or token encourages the return of the food container and its subsequent reuse helps to reduce waste and decreases the need for additional plastics manufacturing.

For example, fast food restaurant, Burger King piloted a range of reusable and returnable packaging in conjunction with Loop, a global re-use platform, in a small number of their restaurants with the idea of rolling out the packaging nationwide if it proved to be successful. Customers chose to take part in the scheme by paying a small deposit which was refunded on the return of the cups or containers, which were then professionally cleaned and sanitised before being returned to circulation in-store. This reusable packaging forms part of the retailers plan to reduce its carbon emissions and to support its pledge to stop using single-use plastics entirely by 2025. (https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/environment/loop-announces-worldwide-store-expansion-23-09-2021)

Image credit : https://packagingguruji.com/burger-king-reusable-packaging/

The idea of using food containers multiple times to deliver pre-prepared food is becoming more popular but it is not an altogether unfamiliar concept. The introduction of pasteurization in 1894 gave milk a longer shelf-life and the delivery of the daily pint in pre-filled bottles became widespread. Empty milk bottles were rinsed and left ready for collection by the dairy, who cleaned, sterilized and refilled them, ready for the next delivery. Over time, the prevalence of the domestic refrigerator, enabling households to store milk for longer periods, and the deregulation of the British milk industry which allowed supermarkets to sell milk, saw the steady decline of the morning milk delivery. The change to cartons and then plastic bottles moved the consumer further away from the idea of re-using the same container multiple times.

Image credit : https://unsplash.com/photos/ccV4kUrSYIM

However, there is a return to this concept and examples shown in the ‘Not single use’ case in MoDiP’s Reuse exhibition showcases reusable containers from the MoDiP collection, including items from GET Enterprise’s Eco-to-go range. They are made from recyclable, BPA-free, colourless polypropylene that is safe for reheating in a microwave and suitable for washing in commercial dishwashers. The durable, stain resistant, long- lasting containers are capable of being reused up to 1000 times and designed for circular exchange or closed loop systems, in which take-away food containers are returned for cleaning and reuse thus avoiding landfill.