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Back to the future, again

As Senior Editor Anne Marie Mohan reported in July’s Greener Package coverage, the milkman-style Loop circular shopping platform was officially kicked off May 21 at the New York City offices of The World Economic Forum.

The ambitious platform is aimed at allowing consumers to purchase products online in reusable packaging that is returned to Loop when the product is consumed. To get the full Loop scoop, we refer you to Mohan’s thorough coverage in our March issue: pwgo.to/5163. But did you know that Loop Founder Tom Szaky shared his vision for Loop in the pages of Packaging World a decade ago with the following snippet from our Aug. 2009 issue:

Expert Analysis
Tom Szaky, CEO, TerraCycle Recycler
Back to the future: Remember the milkman?
Szaky ponders whether instead of advancing packaging technology with ever more biodegradable, compostable, or thinner options, maybe the smart move is to go back to simple reusable packages. To read his entire article, go to greenerpackage.com/node/1372.

I guess it just goes to show that sometimes a good idea needs a decade to percolate before it’s ready for prime time.

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