Be Heroes

The potential for repurposing falls into the "life cycle" category, and that is one area Unilever spends a good deal of time studying, according to Matthew McCarthy, a director of brand development at the company. "What is the consumer doing with that product? What do they want to do with it to recycle it or reuse it? With some of the products we make, the packages are actually reused for other things," he says. He cites one example of parents taking spent margarine containers, cleaning them out, and using them for crayons for their children. "So, understanding the full life cycle of the packages is central to a consumer packaged goods company," he relates.