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.
Bulk places near me just weigh your container before and after. This seems so silly.
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.
And then you look at regular store prices for refills… 30% more expensive than just the regular bottle.
Ffs.
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.
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.
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.
Just a thought, would they sell into an open measuring jug.
Then transfer to old bottle of some form as you leave?
Gets a bit more complex if buying multiple items. As you would need to carry multiple jugs plus bottles.
I spose if they provided their own jugs. They would be unable to sell overpriced bottles?
Interesting thought. A measuring jug would be awkward, but not impossible.
(just scrolling around and decided to do a fly by comment)
So, I’m a Yank, but what does the UK have in the way of glass mason jars used for canning? In the US, the larger containers (32oz/64oz) are molded in such a way that there’s measurement markings raised on the outside of the jar.
Any friends/coworkers have older relatives still around? Maybe they’ve got some canning jars with the measurements sitting in boxes in an attic gathering dust?
you can get glass water bottles with millilitre markings on with glass lids
Do you have an example? I don’t see anything like that around here
Hmm I might’ve been overambitious. Searching “glass water bottle with measurements” gets a few Amazon results but so many of them have “motivational” time labels but no ml markings…
There are quite a few listings for chemistry reagent type containers, too, which could maybe work?
The best thing I’ve found is this from Dunelm might be what you’re after?
Yeah, thanks but it doesn’t appear to have the capacity printed on it.
I’ll resume my search.
It has “1.4L” embossed into the glass :)! it’s just hard to see in the photos
Ah, that might work then!
The easiest way would be to buy an empty bottle, but that would be the last plastic bottle that you buy.
You buy the sturdier bottles, and there’s less chance of them breaking or wearing out, and you don’t need to keep buying plastic in the future.
Completely agree, and that’s what I want. But at least around here they want the bottles marked with the capacity so they charge that much once filled.
I hoped that someone might have a suggestion where to get one that’s properly marked. All the ones I have seen in stores and online are just basically 1L bottles, but without the capacity printed or embossed.
Something like this would be great. https://www.ampulla.co.uk/shop/plastic/plastic-jerry-cans/1-litre-white-plastic-jerry-can-38mm-t-e-screw-cap/
I’ll have to ask if the capacity is marked.
Sorry, yes, that’s what I meant. You buy a marked plastic bottle, and use that to buy the refills.
I’m sure I’ve seen them in some of the bigger shops here, but not the national chains like the supermarkets. Lidl and Aldi would probably have them, but they might be part of the weekly deals though.
You can get drinks bottles that are marked, but they don’t tend to be very strong. They might be ok, depending on how careful you are.
