It’s hip to be square

hip to be square

hip to be square

Huey Lewis is perhaps more famous for his contribution to the ‘Back to the Future’ soundtrack than as environmental spokesman. Even if his green activity is only the result of the way my brain links song titles and causes.  I’ll attempt to explain.

I’m regularly surprised by people’s appetite for avoiding personal responsibility. If that sounds harsh I apologise.  Please keep the emphasis on ‘surprise’.  Perhaps we all fall victim to the very seductive logic that any change we might make to our routine and consumption habits is so small that it can’t make a difference.  But today I’m feeling inspired.  Inspiration came in the form of laundry liquid.  Now I’m not usually in the habit of letting laundry products shape my thinking.  Nor was I transported to a higher mental plane by the feel of soft fabric on my skin or the inhalation of that fresh,just washed smell.  It was actually the new packaging which was responsible.

Usually I’m pretty sceptical about the whole packaging thing. (I still shudder thinking about the ‘turbo’ claims emblazoned on the box of the last vacuum cleaner I bought.)  But Ecover’s new packaging really got me thinking.
I’ve been a fan of bulk buying for ages, cost savings, less time spent re-stocking supplies – and less journeys connected to this – gets full marks from me.  It reduces landfill too – in this case Ecover estimate an 82% saving on packaging waste compared to buying lots of separate bottles.

“Nothing too radical there”, you might be thinking, but what impressed me most was the impact that a subtle change can make. By adopting square box packaging for their 5L and 15L refill packs. Ecover estimate that they will use 15% less trucks to deliver the same quantity of products because of the new compact design.

The change has also allowed the use of different packaging materials too, my laundry liquid was delivered in a carton which has already been recycled (85%) before I even had to decide which bits I’d compost or recycle.

I doubt Mr Lewis had this in mind when he penned ‘Hip to be Square’ but the new range of bulk packaging from Ecover really is music to green ears.

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