Lush introduces popcorn packaging

As part of its drive to be greener, British cosmetics company Lush has come up with a great solution for packaging: instead of using polystyrene chips to keep fragile items intact in the post, the chain is now using an edible and far more biodegradable solution: popcorn!

The popcorn packaging, an idea so simple and clever I'm amazed nobody else has thought of it, will be rolled out as of next month. Until now, Lush used shredded paper in the boxes in which it sold soaps, massage bars and other delicate items, so the popcorn packaging will obviously reduce the amount of paper used by the chain. However, a side effect of this is that transport emissions will also be reduced, since popcorn is 60% lighter than paper.

Plastic bag usage will also be slashed, as products placed in boxes used to be encased in polythene as they would otherwise be damaged by ink in the paper. Popcorn is a 'clean' filler, so Lush can now send out most of its products with no plastic packaging at all, resulting in the saving of 4.6 million plastic bags each year.

I wonder how many other companies will take up this tasty idea?

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Comments

If everybody started to use this we would have nowhere to grow food. Biodiesel is already expected to increase food costs.

Posted by: Martin Fitzpatrick | July 31, 2007 1:19 PM

I've received packages padded with corn-based foam peanuts before. They look and feel like something between cheese poofs (sans cheese) and the regular styrofoam peanuts. Plain old popcorn seems like an even smarter idea since it is less processed and thus probably consumes less energy to create.

However. while the corn itself is biodegradable, the agrochemicals that went into growing it are not. I am assuming that this is conventional corn, not organic. I've read that a cotton shirt is no greener than a polyester shirt, unless the cotton is organically grown. Maybe somebody will do a lifecycle analysis on packaging materials.

At any rate, I do like the fact that a business is steering clear of styrofoam, which is nasty stuff.

Posted by: Kevin Thompson | July 31, 2007 5:13 PM

Popcorn prices have gone up 40% since 2006 because of an increased demand for biofuels, so that may adversely affect the company's strategy in the near future.

Posted by: Diogo | July 31, 2007 7:24 PM

Diogo> Doesn't this just go to show that Lush is putting its money where its mouth is, and paying that bit extra to make a difference? This is going to cut down on fuel consumption as well as paper and plastic usage, so it seems a worthwhile investment for a company that professes to care about the planet.

Martin> As for the biofuels argument, I admit that one's a bit more tricky. But is packaging of this sort a big enough industry to wipe out acres of land used for food? I honestly don't know. What I do know is that we already make huge vats of popcorn for use in the cinema, and most of it seems to become what Homer Simpson refers to as 'floor popcorn'. Maybe we could have this gathered up and used in packaging??

Posted by: Abi | August 1, 2007 10:17 AM

I love "LUSH" and this is another example of them making an effort. At least trying different alternatives to nasty plastic and styrofoam in their packaging.
Though many points were made against using popcorn ,which I have to say I agree with on some points,I think it's a step in the rite direction!
As for bio diesel...great theory and again filled with dilemmas...where are we going to get the space to grow some much in an already over populated over cultivated planet etc,etc,etc? Maybe the government(s) should clamp down on the car manufacturers and make them use other
alternative power to fuel their cars.BUT that's a whole different kettle of fish...

Posted by: Debbie | August 1, 2007 5:45 PM

I am thrilled to see my favorite company in the whole world (LUSH) have this great idea pop in their head. Now they just have to get more than several stores start recycling their black plastic containers.

Posted by: nordylush | August 11, 2007 5:29 AM

Using popcorn as a packing material dates back to WWII. The U.S. military would use real popcorn to pack their delicate instruments, such as radios, etc. to be dropped from airplanes. My grandfather was in the war and often told stories about this.

Posted by: misterjcp | November 12, 2007 2:44 AM

FYI all of you eco-friendly people: Lush plans on making "greener" popcorn in 2008 (when their contract will end). They will take their huge popcorn machine and change it to a greener location where they will do wind-powered pop-corn. So, I guess that they really are trying to make the world ecofriendly. Lets see if it will work...

Posted by: Emma | December 16, 2007 5:38 AM

It's a shame that popcorn weighs nearly 8 times more than styrofoam.

Posted by: Steve | December 21, 2007 3:20 PM

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