Things that Japan does really well: refillable everything!

So I've definitely complained about a lot of the weird package designs or the weather or various day to day things. However, I do think that there are lots of things that Japan does that other places should also do (or do more of) so I thought it would be good to focus on those.

Since I complained about package designs the most, this week, I'm starting with some packaging I really like: the refillable sort.

Refill packages of Shampoo and
Conditioner.

These sorts of packages definitely exist to some extent in Canada, but I don't think it's nearly as prevalent as in Japan. Here, you can buy a fair number of household liquids in refill form, from hand soap and shampoo to sunblock and fabric softener. You can also get a variety of brands (including some of the ones that seem to want to be fancy) and a fair amount of variety as far as scents and whatever goes within one set of products.

The main benefits of refillable packaging are environmental. Since they use less plastic, there's less to throw away than if you buy a new bottle each time you run out. They're also much more compressible which makes them easier to throw out when you've emptied them into your old containers. They're probably also a bit easier to transport since the bags deform pretty well and don't roll around.

They're also generally cheaper per mL than the stuff that comes in the full packaging, which is a nice added benefit.

All in all, it's something that I think should be more common everywhere.