Reusable packaging

• More and more producers and importers of packaging and packaged products are making their ambitions known to develop more sustainable packaging. Although Resource and Recycle are currently the dominant modes of sustainable development, Reuse is on the rise.

  Resource targets are about the origin of the packaging material. Consider, for example, the use of rPET (or recycled PET) instead of PET derived from fossil raw materials. 
  

• By encouraging consumers to use packaging multiple times, companies can show clearly that they take material reduction seriously.

• Reuse can be the answer to the European directive for plastic disposables.

  The measures in the so-called Single Use Plastics (SUP) Directive relate to lost fishing gear and single-use plastics, including various packaging materials. Disposable products for which there is currently no alternative must be measurably reduced by the member states by 2026. Member States must also encourage the use of reusable products, reuse and recycling. The directive was published by the European Commission on 12 June 2019. Member States have two years from that day to transpose the directive into national legislation. For more information, click here (only available in Dutch).
  

• With the growth of delivery services and e-commerce, the function of packaging is changing, as marketing, for instance, is becoming less important for packaging. Packaging no longer serves to tempt the consumer, as this is all done online. In addition to the e-commerce industry, supermarkets and initiatives such as Pieter Pot and Loop are engaging with this development by experimenting with home delivery and packaging return services.

• Reusable packaging is often more expensive to produce than single-use packaging. On top of that, reusable packaging options may also lead to extra costs for return logistics and inspections and/or cleaning. It is important to determine how often a piece of packaging should be reused in order to be economically viable.

• The effects of reuse on packaging must be carefully investigated for each product-packaging combination. Reused packaging may, for instance, have a different appearance and/or quality level after it has been cleaned and transported.

• Quantifying and comparing the environmental impact of switching to multi-use packaging is difficult, and KIDV has joined forces with Utrecht University to develop a special calculation tool, which can be found here. The tool is part of the Community of Practice for Reusable packaging.

• Reuse raises issues with regard to quality and safety, such as: how can you guarantee packaging hygiene, especially for food and care products? And what about reliability and liability with regard to food safety?

• More research is yet to be done on how consumer behaviour influences the effectiveness of reusable packaging and on the implications of the corresponding logistics and administrative processes.

KIDV is the initiator behind the Community of Practice for Reusable packaging. Within this community, KIDV works with leading companies and educational institutions to look for solutions to the challenges detailed above. Click here for more information. If you have specific questions about this Community, please contact project leader Marcel Keuenhof by sending an email to m.keuenhof@kidv.nl.