As the headline says, this post is about the simple ways to save money. I’m not talking about the average consumer here, I’m talking about companies.
A few weeks ago, when shopping for soap for my washing machine, I noticed my favorite brand (Tide) had a smaller container. It was their new concentrated formula. They call it “2X Ultra Tide”, I get the scent free kind. Yes I know this isn’t anything really new, but it certainly made my mind wander; by the way its easy to let your mind wander when you’re in a a windowless building.
T
he regular bottle of Tide is 100 fluid ounces. The concentrated bottle is 50 fl oz. Essentially what Tide has done here is reduce the amount of water they’re carrying around. The smaller bottle produces the same number of loads, but in a smaller package.
Let’s look at the advantages of the concentrated version of my favorite soap. Tide must be shipped all over the country in big 18 wheeler trucks or smaller deliver vehicles. Space is a precious commodity on these trucks, where every cubic foot likely has a numerical value to the company. In a 50% smaller package, twice the product can fit into the truck. Good news for the bean counters as this could cut their shipping costs nearly in half. (Yes I know the denser liquid is heavier, likely decreasing the mileage on the trucks, however for this example we aren’t doing specific calculations).
But the savings don’t stop there. To produce a more concentrated soap the manufacturer will use less water. Now our water bills are cheap, but imagine if you were saving millions of gallons of water per year by concentrating your product.
While on topic of savings, there is a green element to the matter. Less gas and reduced water usage (130 million gallons they tell me) score big points with the environmental types.
The inspiration for this post was not mind boggling, but since the writing I’ve noticed this sort of thing in more placed. I’ll write about those in the days to come. Simple. Genius. Unintended. Those are the attributes of something I can get behind.
Editor’s note: Yes I know powder detergent is even better and concentrated soap is nothing new. But liquid is better in my case and I’m not going back to powder.
 By The Weakonomist |
The Weakonomist is the founder of Weakonomics. Clicking the picture of the puppy will tell you more about him. If you like what you're reading consider subscribing to the blog, following him on Twitter, and checking out the related posts below. Please consider a donation if you really enjoy Weakonomics. |
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