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Guide addresses 'The Bit at the Bottom'

INCPEN releases a new 16-page guide for manufacturers, retailers, and packaging designers to help them tackle the problem of left-behind product.

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INCPEN – the Industry Council for research on Packaging and the Environment – has produced a guide to help manufacturers, retailers, and packaging designers tackle the problem of Unintentional Product Residue (UPR), the waste in a package that a consumer either can’t get out, can’t be bothered to get out, or doesn’t know is there.

Following a proposal made by U.K. retailer Boots U.K. to help INCPEN understand the issue, the organization along with WRAP – the Waste and Resource Action Programme – commissioned a study by Leatherhead Food Research. The study identified the reasons why UPR occurs for a number of products widely used by consumers and the steps that producers should consider to prevent it.

Leatherhead examined 362 samples covering a range of regularly used foods, cosmetics, toiletries, cleaning products, and DIY products. Significantly, more than two-thirds contained less than 1% URP, while only 7% had more than 5%.

UPR can have both negative economic and reputational implications, says the study. Residues are an environmental and financial cost, as the unused product wastes the raw materials, water, and energy that were used to produce it, and this has an impact on the cost of manufacturing, processing, and distribution.

Equally important, says INCPEN, consumer attitudes toward a brand may be affected if they are aware that they cannot get all the product out and therefore feel cheated. Residues can also hinder recycling and reduce the yield of recycled material.

The INCPEN guide, “The Bit at the Bottom. A guide to help consumers get the last bit out,” seeks to support manufacturers’ existing efforts by highlighting areas that should be taken into consideration early in the product development process. These include the nature of the product, the design of its packaging, and how consumers use the product and its pack.

It provides a variety of practical suggestions on how to make it easier to extract the last bit of product, while stressing the need to ensure the packaging is exactly tailored to the product.

“Nearly all of us will have experienced the frustration of not being able to access ‘the last bit’ of product,” says INCPEN Director Jane Bickerstaffe. “Many manufacturers minimize UPR. Our guide supports their initiatives with advice on steps that can be taken in the early stages of product development."

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