Reusable and refillable packaging systems are essential for reducing our reliance on single-use plastics, ensuring that packaging is kept in circulation and out of the environment.
Switching to reusable packaging not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and resource consumption, it also helps mitigate health risks by preventing plastics and chemicals from entering our food systems.
While these systems are key to achieving circularity, wide scale adoption requires systemic shifts across the value chain. Collaboration is critical to move from small-scale pilots to broader market implementation, ensuring reuse becomes part of everyday life.
Current challenges
Although momentum around reuse has grown in recent years, large-scale reuse models are still rare, and the overall share of reusable packaging remains low. Key barriers to scaling reuse include:
- Consumer reluctance
- Concerns over hygiene or product contamination
- Supply chain logistical challenges.
Additionally, successful reuse models often depend on critical mass, which poses challenges for companies looking to lead the way in this space.
Our solutions
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The Plastics Pact Network
Led by WRAP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the Plastics Pact Network connects 19 countries and over 900 organisations to drive global change towards a circular economy for plastics. Scaling reusable and refillable systems is a priority for the network, with members sharing best practices to accelerate progress worldwide.
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The UK Plastics Pact
The UK Plastics Pact unites businesses, governments, and NGOs to tackle plastic waste across the value chain. Representing over 75% of the UK’s consumer plastic packaging, members work together to achieve a circular economy. WRAP supports these efforts by facilitating partnerships, offering technical guidance, and sharing valuable insights to scale reuse models.
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A Global Treaty
WRAP supports an ambitious global treaty with legally binding provisions on reusable plastics, including sector-specific policies like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. These schemes would incentivise reuse and improve funding for waste management. The treaty would enforce global rules to eliminate, reduce, and reuse plastics, while also managing those that cannot be recycled.
The progress we’re making
Plastics Pacts worldwide are using clear criteria to identify and eliminate problematic and unnecessary plastics in their regions. This effort has already led to the removal of tens of billions of items from the market across the world.
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Mainstreaming reusable and refillable packaging in the UK
The UK: In 2022, the UK Plastics Pact held roundtables to explore reusable packaging opportunities in sectors like dairy, household care, and soft drinks. This informed WRAP’s creation of a Practical Guide to help businesses identify reusable packaging opportunities in their product portfolios. A Blueprint is now being developed for specific categories involving shared scaled solutions, focusing on multi-retailer, multi-brand solutions. WRAP is also expanding its Recycling Locator to include refill locations to boost awareness and participation.
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Canada Plastics Pact
Canada: The Canadian Plastics Pact conducted a national study to assess reuse and refill opportunities, resulting in the launch of the Reuse Accelerator Pod. Supported by the government, this initiative aims to scale reusable packaging systems, develop national standards, and expand pilot projects. Two additional Accelerator Pods will be launched within the next 18 months.
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Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands Plastics Pact
In 2023, the ANZPAC Pact formed a reuse working group to address gaps in adoption after several pilots underperformed. The group conducted a study on enablers of success, aiming to facilitate collaboration and develop reuse projects across the region.
Key reports
Our reports and research focus on scaling reusable and refillable packaging systems, offering businesses practical guidance and insights for accelerating circular living.
