Turning your home into a sustainable household is getting a lot easier thanks to more eco-friendly alternatives hitting the market and companies adopting systems of reusable packaging.

A new zero-waste e-commerce platform called Loop started testing in New York City and Paris in May, so many residents in those cities no longer have to worry about stacking up empty detergent containers and shampoo bottles in the recycling bin.

Courtesy of P&G

Loop, first announced earlier this year, was created by international recycling leader TerraCycle in partnership with some of the world’s largest consumer product companies, including Procter & Gamble — the first consumer product company to become a partner. P&G brands like Tide and Pantene are now available through Loop in test cities.

“Loop aims to not just eliminate the idea of packaging waste but greatly improve the product experience and the convenience in how we shop,” TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky said in a statement.

Through Loop, consumers can order Febreze products, foods like Haagen-Dazs and Tropicana juice, and Herbal Essences beauty products in new durable refillable containers. They will receive them in a reusable shipping tote that eliminates the need for cardboard boxes. Once they are done with their products, consumers can simply put the empty containers back into the shipping totes, and Loop picks them up directly from their home to be refilled and reused.

Loop aims to change the world’s reliance on single-use packaging and disposable waste by creating a convenient system that encourage packaging to be reused. There’s an urgent need for action. Roughly 300 million tons of plastics are produced each year around the world, and most of it is not properly recycled, often finding its way into the ocean where it can harm marine life.

“Loop gives us the opportunity to test and learn what a refill and return business model must deliver in order to make it a truly scalable, sustainable proposition,” P&G packaging expert Brent Heist said.

Read More: World’s Biggest Brands Investing in ‘Milkman’ Model to Rethink Plastic Packaging

Through Loop, Oral-B will test circular solutions for both its electric rechargeable and manual toothbrushes. The brand has released a newly designed manual toothbrush, Oral-B CLIC, that features a durable handle with a unique mechanism that allows people to only exchange the brush head, instead of replacing the full plastic toothbrush each time. Used brush heads for both manual and electrical brushes will be recycled.

Gillette and Venus razors come with travel packs that customers can keep and reuse, while the razor parts and blades from these products can be separated so they can be collected by TerraCycle for further recycling. And Tide, Febreze, Pantene, and Crest products are available for purchase on Loop in reusable bottles.

As plastic’s harmful impact on the environment becomes more widely understood, companies like P&G are rethinking how they can be more sustainable through platforms like Loop that encourage reusable materials.

Source: Global Citizen