Reusable packaging: why customers keep it, or throw it away

Reusable packaging cannot be declared. It becomes reusable the day a customer decides to keep it. That decision is made in seconds, when they take out the product: is the object still beautiful, still strong, still useful? If the answer is no, it risks ending up in the bin, whatever promise is printed on it.

What a customer keeps, and why

A customer keeps what they are not embarrassed to show. A bag that stands up, a box that stores, a pouch that travels: these objects have an obvious second function. Many other packagings have none, and nobody looks for one.

Object	Where it ends up	What it must withstand
Bag	At the market, on the beach, in town	Weight, rain, the shoulder
Box	On the dressing table, on a shelf	Hands, steam, dust
Pouch	In a suitcase, a bag, a toiletry case	Creases, friction, leaks
Bottle sleeve	On the table, in the cellar	The ice bucket, condensation

In every case, the second life begins with a test the customer never mentions: did it hold up?

What makes packaging give way

Packaging does not die all at once. It gives way on four fronts, and the customer spots them all.

• Water: a wet bag base that warps, rain that softens a handle, a box left near a sink.
• Grease: a stain of sun cream, butter or oil that stays visible and does not come off.
• Creasing: a white line that appears on the fold, where the ink cracks.
• Tearing: a handle that gives under the weight, a corner that opens, a pocket that splits.

The first real use is enough. Packaging that withstands water and grease once is packaging you can pick up a second time.

Beautiful and strong: both, or nothing

This is where some reusable packaging goes wrong. Very strong packaging with a utilitarian look stays in the cupboard. Very beautiful but fragile packaging does not survive its first outing in the rain. The customer does not choose between the two: they want an object that looks like a gift and holds up like a tool.

NotPaper is a mineral material, made mostly of calcium carbonate, with no wood fibre. It has the look of a high-end paper, with printing, solid colours and patterns. Hot foil, embossing and spot varnish are finishes added as an option. It does not soak up water and resists grease and tearing depending on the application and in our usage tests, without lamination: the resistance comes from the material.

In practice, a bag put down on a wet table can be wiped with one swipe. A box stored near a basin does not soak up the water that splashes it, and a pouch slipped into a suitcase is designed to resist friction. To be checked on your prototype, depending on the application.

Reusable packaging is packaging nobody wants to throw away.

How to test packaging before ordering

Put your packaging through the tests the customer will.

1. Wet it. Leave it for an hour on a damp surface, or under a tap.
2. Soil it. Sun cream, oil, greasy hands: does it wipe clean without a trace?
3. Fold it. Once, ten times: does the fold turn white, does the ink crack?
4. Load it. With the real weight of the contents, damp ones included.
5. Look at it three days later. Would your customer keep it?

If the packaging passes all five tests, it has a chance of a second life. If not, the customer risks throwing it away, even if it looked beautiful in the shop window. For a bag, a box or a pouch designed to be kept, discover our approach to reusable packaging, or see how The Tote Bag handles the bag the customer takes home.