One Key Thing Your Business Can Do To Support Eco-Conscious Customers

Many people have now heard of the term ‘zero waste’ and of people with jars filled with their whole year’s worth of waste. But what exactly is the zero waste movement? 

The zero waste movement focuses on maximising resources and preventing waste. The goal is for no trash to be sent to landfills, incinerated, or littered in nature, and is guided by the waste hierarchy of Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot (compost) – in that order. ‘Zero wasters’ care more about refusing, reducing and reusing than recycling or composting because it has a much bigger positive environmental impact.

While it might not be feasible to go completely zero waste, there are plenty of small changes that individuals can try to make in their daily lives to help reduce waste, and as a local business you can make a big difference in helping your eco-conscious customers achieve their goals, whilst also reducing your own waste and costs, by doing just one thing.

That one thing is to allow customers to use reusables instead of disposables.

This involves going beyond reusable shopping bags and reusable coffee cups brought in by the customer. Local breweries can and do offer returnable and refillable jugs called growlers and squealers to their customers which helps build loyalty to the business. Cafes can and do allow customers to bring their own containers for takeaways. Bakeries and butchers and delis also allow customers to bring their own containers and bags to take their purchases home in. Even some cinemas are welcoming customers wanting to use reusables by supplying the volumes of their drink containers and popcorn boxes. And, personal grooming businesses are also choosing to reuse by offering their customers refills from bulk supplies. But, not enough businesses are getting on board with the reuse revolution and eco-conscious customers are looking elsewhere.

Perhaps you think your customers aren’t interested, however, we know from sustainable behaviour research that even when people want to change their behaviour they won’t until the barriers have been removed. One of the biggest (perhaps perceived) barriers for Gippslanders to overcome is that it is less convenient to shop plastic or package free because there are so few options compared to our city friends. Eco-conscious individuals will do it if you make it easy for them. We also know that people will do what those around them do, meaning the more visible sustainable behaviours like using reusable containers become, the more likely other people will do it too.

If you’re ready to offer your eco-conscious customers more sustainable solutions, check out the links provided in this article as a starting point, put up signs and spread the word on social media that you’re part of the reuse revolution and the war on waste!

“I will emphasise that neither the Victorian Food Act 1984 (the Act) or the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) places any legislative requirements that would prevent a business from using a container provided by a customer to store or package food purchased. If a business has a policy to not accept customer containers for the storage of food purchased, then that is a business decision rather than a restraint due to legislation.” Food Safety Unit, Department of Health and Human Services.
Read the full interview here: What the Law Says About Using Reusable Containers