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Ideas for dealing with home cleaning refillables? (self.askuk)

submitted 1 month ago by frazorth to c/askuk

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We are currently in a silly situation when dealing with refillable products for home, and I was wondering if anyone else had any ideas.

If I wanted shower gel (for example), all the refillable locations require a bottle with the capacity printed on it, and for it to be empty. And basically I don't want to wait until my shower gel is out completely before getting any more, so I would want an intermediate container however I cannot find a 1l bottle that has the capacity embossed on it so that I can take it to the refill station, and bring it home. I really don't want to buy another small plastic bottle with the capacity on a paper label that does one refill of the gel, and would have to be replaced when the label comes off.

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[–] HumanPenguin 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

My thought exactly. Never used one of these places. As non exist within easy travel distance to me.

But weight seems like the obvious solution. The only reason I can see for a store using the method and limitations described. Is to try and increase sales of their own over priced containers.

[–] frazorth 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

And then you look at regular store prices for refills.... 30% more expensive than just the regular bottle.

Ffs.

[–] HumanPenguin 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yep and the bag used for the refill. Tend to have fine plastic coating. That just make placing microplastics into the environment faster. While being totally un reusable.

Even when the price is lower. It's just trying to reduce cost of packaging while greenwashing customers.

[–] frazorth 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Well the sell is that it uses less plastic in total than the original bottle. Still far too much for a one time use bag.

[–] HumanPenguin 1 points 1 month ago

Agreed. But unlike one use bottles that can be recycled with limitations.

The fine plastic coating on these to make them waterproof cannot be recovered. It is like the plastic coating on modern drinks cans. They are almost impossible to prevent the microscopic particles from wear or burning from entering the environment.

Shops like you're using are way better. (although having considered opening one,(lacked the cash) avoiding throw away plastic in the shipping is a nightmare. But they tend to do better over all then any other solution.