Last week I was drinking a soda, and thought about the recently announced PlantBottle, the fully recyclable, 30% plant based bottle being rolled out by Coca-Cola. Then I thought, why bother? Why are these people spending such enormous resources trying to invent their way out of a hole?

Packaging technology has come a long way in recent years, with compostable, biodegradable, thinner, smaller options and some great inside the box thinking all coming to the table, see this article for some of the advancements. All commendable in their forward thinking and concern for the long term impact. But I'd like to suggest something: Look backward.

Think I'm being nostalgic, it would never work? A colleague in California told me this is happening, right now http://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/ . And not just in California, either. Yogurt is in on this action as well! Where else could it happen? Look in your pocket. Got mints from Starbucks? That tin could just as easily be refilled as a new one is purchased, saving on packaging, the cost/emissions of transporting hundreds of thousands of new tins, etc.

And what about this concept: The mailer you send a clothing purchase in folds into a hanger. This takes it one step beyond reusable into ongoing use in a different form, with no additional energy used to manufacture this second use.

Seeing the profitability and possibility of this yet?

At the same time, there are real hurdles to overcome, and downsides to be considered. Does the additional weight of glass jars and the additional emissions it creates outweigh the energy/resource footprint of paper based? How do we manage sanitation factors for food products? Do people really have the will to make the extra step to bring things back to the store? Will it ever see mainstream acceptance? Positioned as a way to save money, I could see broader acceptance happening.

What if the packaging *was* the product? This piece gives several intriguing examples, from lamp boxes that fold into lamps to, well, our umbrellas made from Chips Ahoy wrappers.

These are all great things to think about and encourage, but what can be created and implemented on a large scale, that get beyond niche application and niche-sized impact? What are some ideas you're working on, or would like to see worked on? Or if you don't want to say, give suggestions outside your industry. Do you think reusable packaging is impossible in your industry? Why? Let's discuss.