Reuse
‘Reuse’ ranks third in the waste hierarchy, below ‘remove’ and ‘reduce’ but above ‘recycling’, so cannot be ignored by society. The premise that reusing an item is better than using an item once and then discarding or recycling it is a key tenet of the circular economy for plastic packaging and can have several other benefits, like improving brand loyalty.
The four standard models of reuse and refill were described by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation[1] as:
- Refill from home
- Return from home
- Refill on the go
- Return on the go
This neatly summarises the options available to manufacturers, and the complexity that can be involved.
Pending legislation like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Deposit Return Systems (DRS), and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in Europe, all profess to promote reuse and refill above single use alternatives but lack specific measures to ensure that implementing a new business model is made easier.
Despite several attempts and trials (i.e. Tesco and their collaboration with LOOP), reuse has yet to take off in a major way in the UK, and still is mainly found in smaller trials and events where the scope of distribution is limited. Some businesses, mimicking the old doorstep delivery system used by dairies (Able and Cole, Milk and More), are starting to provide a variety of goods, some in plastic packaging, that are reusable and collected as they deliver.
Refill has been available in different forms for many years. Some cleaning products, for example, have a prime pack with a trigger spray that can be refilled by a concentrate and diluted to use. Other products can be refilled from a low-cost refill pack, usually made of a lightweight flexible material (some forms of instant coffee, for example). These offer a way for brands to offer refill solutions while retaining their primary brand identity.
Some supermarkets now offer in-store refill stations where a customer brings along an empty vessel and fills it from a dispensing station. The range of goods is limited but the systems are arguably gaining traction in some areas, albeit slowly.
Why has implementing reuse and refill systems proven difficult so far?
Reuse will often mean a company has to adopt a new business model, departing from their traditional methods. This will require new skills and knowledge as well as investment in new equipment to achieve the desired results.
The main issue with creating a new reuse system is that it needs to involve several different companies to provide the services needed at each stage of the process. A brand owner, retailer, logistics company, cleaning company and packer/filler will all need to participate to make sure that packs are filled, distributed, collected, cleaned to a suitable standard, and refilled. This is a complex undertaking and can prove expensive.
Other things that need to be taken into consideration are the hygiene standards required, traceability of contents, legal responsibilities at each point, bar code, and of course, the environmental impact of a particular system. Return rates of reusable packaging can be variable, being spread over a wide geography can cause difficulties when it comes to collection, additional expense, and may increase the carbon footprint of a system.
Refill is arguably a simpler option than reuse. However, refilling instore introduces problems when it comes to branding, conveying important information and responsibility if a customer uses a container that is not clean, for example. Refill systems need to ensure refilling is safe (for dangerous goods like household cleaners), is easy to do, while also delivering environmental savings over traditional single use alternatives.
What does this mean for the plastics packaging industry?
By their very nature reuse systems mean a packaging manufacturer will sell fewer packs. This may be partly offset by making the products they do supply more robust (normally heavier), which will take more material and make them more expensive.
Packaging design may also need to change to allow for better cleaning if needed or to prevent cross contamination with other products.
Packaging manufacturers will need to work in cooperation with other companies in the supply chain to ensure that a robust system is developed that can deliver a safe, usable product and environmental benefits.
Moves by some companies to adopt “standardised” packaging styles have yet to find any traction. For a manufacturer of packaging, this option may offer a method to allow manufacturing volumes to reach acceptable levels.
In conclusion...
The current raft of legislation (EPR, DRS, PPWR) all state their aim is to encourage reuse, but they leave it up to industry to develop the methodology and systems to achieve this, with little assistance. Demands for action from environmental NGOs and retailers (via consumer pressure) are driving companies to experiment with alternatives but no outstanding system has yet been implemented.
Any reuse or refill system should demonstrate that it has a lower environmental impact than the single use and/or recyclable options they replace. This could be done via Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) or perhaps another acceptable, science-based method.
Systems developed need to be safe to use, hygienic, avoid cross contamination, and deliver products to consumers in a convenient manner. Any packaging adopted for reuse or refill systems should also be fully recyclable at end of life so they can become part of a true circular system.
Reverse logistic systems play a key part in any reuse system and need to be carefully considered when attempting any system development. The larger the geographical area, the larger the problem of getting empty packaging back for refilling. Also, the carbon footprint of the system may be larger, bringing into question its environmental benefits.
There is unlikely to be a “one size fits all” solution for reuse (or refill), which may force companies to adopt several different systems, increasing complexity and cost. Creating strong cross-industry partnerships is vital in developing a system that is viable and brings value to each participant. If one member of a coalition does not get value from the enterprise, it will fail.
Efforts need to be made to show the benefits of plastic packaging in a reuse system to prevent unnecessary material switching from plastics to alternative materials, where the environmental impact may be greater.
1) Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Reuse – rethinking packaging (2019)
First published July 2024
Reviewed February 2025
