# 263 - What about reusable packaging? The good and the bad

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2024-05-22
- Length: 35m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-05-22-263-what-about-reusable-packaging-the-good-and-the-bad
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/263-what-about-reusable-packaging

## Summary

Hosts Elliot Montos, Adam Peek, and Cory Connors discuss the economic and logistical challenges of reusable packaging, highlighting the need for standardization and the high costs of cleaning and logistics. They examine specific case studies, including Erewhon's successful glass jar system, Bold Reuse's event cup program, and Graza's olive oil refills, while noting consumer liability concerns and the complexity of TerraCycle. The conversation also covers how new tariffs on paper bag handles are forcing brands back to plastic, and emphasizes the importance of data ownership for sustainability compliance.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-05-22-263-what-about-reusable-packaging-the-good-and-the-bad#t=1) Introduction and Career Purpose
- [11:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-05-22-263-what-about-reusable-packaging-the-good-and-the-bad#t=674) Reusable Packaging Challenges and Standardization
- [18:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-05-22-263-what-about-reusable-packaging-the-good-and-the-bad#t=1094) Case Studies: Erewhon, Bold Reuse, and Graza
- [21:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-05-22-263-what-about-reusable-packaging-the-good-and-the-bad#t=1282) Liability, Safety, and Consumer Behavior
- [28:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-05-22-263-what-about-reusable-packaging-the-good-and-the-bad#t=1736) Tariffs Impacting Packaging Materials
- [32:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-05-22-263-what-about-reusable-packaging-the-good-and-the-bad#t=1945) Data Ownership and Specright Webinar

## Topics

- [Packaging design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/packaging-design)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Milo's Tea Company (company)
- Freddy's (company)
- PR3 (company)
- Jarbo (product)
- Bold Reuse (company)
- Erewhon (company)
- Graza (company)
- TerraCycle (company)
- Loop (company)
- Clorox (company)
- McDonald's (company)
- Specright (company)
- SmartSolve (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Making garbage useful with Tom Szaky of TerraCycle](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-17-making-garbage-useful-with-tom-szaky-of-terracycle) (How I Built This)
- [#203 - Packaging Your Brand 101: Jamie Valenti-Jordan and Andy Kurtts](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-07-01-203-packaging-your-brand-101-jamie-valenti-jordan-and-andy-kurtts) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [IDology #10 - The difficulties of sustainability of industrial design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2023-03-14-idology-10-the-difficulties-of-sustainability-of-industrial-design) (IDology)
- [8: Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2016-01-28-8-packaging) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [100: Embodied Energy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2023-07-02-100-embodied-energy) (Thoroughly Considered)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-05-22-263-what-about-reusable-packaging-the-good-and-the-bad. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to People of Packaging.