Retail Blog

Ask retailers what ‘recycling’ means to them and you’ll get a variety of answers. For some, it’s a relatively recent idea that means reusing packing peanuts, or separating paper from the rest of the trash. For others, it’s an old idea that was once called ‘refurbishing’ or simply selling ‘used’ items.

For a growing number of retailers, however, ‘recycling’ means one of two things: a new approach to product packaging, and new product merchandising opportunities. Whatever your particular answer, it’s clear that retailers have an important role to play in the conservation and reuse of our planet’s resources.

Consider this: more than 25 million tons of plastic packaging is generated in the US each year. That’s enough to fill Yankee Stadium more than 500 times. And 95% of it is used only once on a one-way trip from crude oil to landfill. Smartcycle of Jamestown, RI develops and markets the SmartCycle^TM brand of recycled plastic packaging. It is one of a growing number of companies helping retailers to both reduce packaging waste and attract lucrative, environmentally-conscious customers at the same time.

Packaging is important, but the big payoff for the planet comes when the products we sell are themselves made of recycled materials. Traditionally, most recycling has gone towards bulk products such as steel, mulch, rubber and paper. Until recently, practically all end-consumer products were made from virgin materials. Questions of quality and a certain negative stigma seemed to prevent widespread acceptance. For most products, therefore, the resource reuse loop has not been closed.

All of that is changing. As global warming and environmental issues saturate mainstream thinking, tastes are turning to products that are part of a global solution. Far from their being stigmatized, interest in recycled consumer products is heating up. And much like organic produce versus the regular fare, recycled products are in some cases being sold at a premium over their virgin material counterparts.

The trick, of course, is finding the right wholesale suppliers with the products that appeal to your customers. A good place to start is this list of suppliers on ProductBlazer.

At some point all of our products will be made, in part or in whole, from recycled materials. It is only a matter of time. Do you have a green plan? Be there first to claim (and reclaim) your share of the new (old) pie.