Hi all,
Around the world, if we replaced only 20% of single-use plastic packaging with reusable alternatives, it would be a business opportunity worth a minimum of USD 10 billion. Not only have recent efforts initiated an international agreement to end plastic pollution, we’ve also seen the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, with over 350 organisations committing to a vision of creating a circular economy for plastics. These organisations recognize that we need to rethink products in such a way that they do not rely on disposable packaging.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, one of the 350 organisations mentioned above, has released a new report that provides a framework for understanding various reuse models. The report begins with the six major benefits of reuse, and then explains in detail the four reuse models:
1. Refill at home: users refill their reusable container at home (e.g. with refills delivered through a subscription service)
2. Return from home: packaging is picked up from home by a pick-up service (e.g. by a logistics company)
3. Refill on the go: users refill their reusable container away from home (e.g. at an in-store dispensing system)
4. Return on the go: users return the packaging at a store or drop-off point (e.g. in a deposit return machine or mailbox)
The report outlines both the benefits and potential challenges of each of these reuse models, and then gives 69 examples in total. One of its examples is RECUP, which is a reuse scheme based out of Germany. When coffee drinkers would like to use a reusable cup, they pay a deposit at participating cafés. They can then return the empty cup to any RECUP partner in exchange for the original deposit. There is so much potential in reuse models like these (the RECUP scheme is growing in Germany), but I wonder how easily they can be brought to scale because so many of them have to contend with the barrier of convenience. It seems to me that if we are going to build momentum for reuse models like the one in this report, we will need to make it as easy as possible for people to participate. Unfortunately, it is easier just to purchase and then throw away an item than to worry about registering for a service or paying a deposit. Perhaps social norms could play into the untapped potential of reuse. They certainly do when it comes to recycling. In so many places around the world, people recycle because they see their neighbours engaging in that activity and they believe it is the right thing to do. It might be helpful to make reuse more visible in the community so that people see it is a dynamic social norm (i.e. a social norm where the minority is growing).
To read the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s reuse report, click here.
Around the world, if we replaced only 20% of single-use plastic packaging with reusable alternatives, it would be a business opportunity worth a minimum of USD 10 billion. Not only have recent efforts initiated an international agreement to end plastic pollution, we’ve also seen the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, with over 350 organisations committing to a vision of creating a circular economy for plastics. These organisations recognize that we need to rethink products in such a way that they do not rely on disposable packaging.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, one of the 350 organisations mentioned above, has released a new report that provides a framework for understanding various reuse models. The report begins with the six major benefits of reuse, and then explains in detail the four reuse models:
1. Refill at home: users refill their reusable container at home (e.g. with refills delivered through a subscription service)
2. Return from home: packaging is picked up from home by a pick-up service (e.g. by a logistics company)
3. Refill on the go: users refill their reusable container away from home (e.g. at an in-store dispensing system)
4. Return on the go: users return the packaging at a store or drop-off point (e.g. in a deposit return machine or mailbox)
The report outlines both the benefits and potential challenges of each of these reuse models, and then gives 69 examples in total. One of its examples is RECUP, which is a reuse scheme based out of Germany. When coffee drinkers would like to use a reusable cup, they pay a deposit at participating cafés. They can then return the empty cup to any RECUP partner in exchange for the original deposit. There is so much potential in reuse models like these (the RECUP scheme is growing in Germany), but I wonder how easily they can be brought to scale because so many of them have to contend with the barrier of convenience. It seems to me that if we are going to build momentum for reuse models like the one in this report, we will need to make it as easy as possible for people to participate. Unfortunately, it is easier just to purchase and then throw away an item than to worry about registering for a service or paying a deposit. Perhaps social norms could play into the untapped potential of reuse. They certainly do when it comes to recycling. In so many places around the world, people recycle because they see their neighbours engaging in that activity and they believe it is the right thing to do. It might be helpful to make reuse more visible in the community so that people see it is a dynamic social norm (i.e. a social norm where the minority is growing).
To read the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s reuse report, click here.
