[nine_k]

It just does not work equally well with every product, but it works with some.

I keep seeing farmers selling stuff like apples, potatoes, etc on greenmarkets from large reusable plasic or wooden crates. If I bring my own bags, I produce no packaging waste.

It's a bit harder with things like milk, but should be doable using large multi-use cans and pouring into customer's bottle.

Likely packaging waste can be greatly reduced, if not eliminated completely, for things like bread, cookies / crackers / etc, eggs, sausages, butter, etc. Just use large reusable / recyclable containers, and parcel out the amounts needed for a customer.

It of course is not going to work well with stuff that requires special packaging at the point of production, like carbonated drinks.

The biggest problem is the lack if self-service in much if this; a salesperson should measure, weigh, cut or otherwise dispense things, and this is slower than scanning bar codes. Pre-packaged goods even allow self-checkout.

[asdff]

Ironically, we used to literally do it with milk a generation or two ago. You'd get milk in glass bottles, drink it, leave it outside in the evening, bring in more milk in the morning in reused glass bottles, and the bill is in the mail. Today with expensive glass bottled milks, they sometimes still offer a few cents redemption if you return the empty bottles to the store.

[Psychlist]

Some places have gone back to milk in glass bottles: https://www.oaklandsfarm.co.nz/home-delivery

It's expensive but it's doable. Or you could say that the plastic milk people have successfully externalised enough of their costs that they can charge less than a more efficient option. Somehow producer levies to cover waste disposal are uncommon and wildly unpopular (with producers).

[ricardobeat]

Plenty of stores selling in bulk allow self-service. Customer weights their own container, prints a barcode.