Reuse Rethinking Packaging - Ellen Macarthur Foundation & New Plastic Foundation

Reusable packaging represents a multi-billion dollar innovation opportunity with significant advantages for both users and businesses. While some perceive reuse models as outdated, innovative approaches leveraging digital technologies and evolving user preferences can unlock remarkable benefits. These models enhance the user experience, enable product customization, gather valuable insights, foster brand loyalty, optimize operations, and reduce costs. Consider a high-end, durable ice cream container that keeps the contents frozen for hours outside the fridge, delivered and collected through a subscription model, offering convenience, aesthetic appeal, and customer retention.

Moreover, reusable packaging plays a critical role in tackling plastic pollution. Over 350 organizations, as part of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, recognize the importance of exploring reuse business models to minimize single-use plastic packaging.

This work provides a framework for understanding reuse, identifies six major benefits, and presents 69 examples of successful reuse initiatives. Based on extensive evaluations and expert interviews, its purpose is to inspire and offer a structured approach. While not a detailed implementation guide, it provides a basic description of different reuse models and typical implementation challenges. The initial focus is on business-to-consumer (B2C) packaging solutions, as reuse opportunities in business-to-business (B2B) applications are already well-established at scale.