Reusable packaging: French lessons for the Dutch market

Co-founder François Chartier-Kastler of InOff Plastic opened the webinar with the French history of reusable packaging. Deposit systems for beer, water and soft drinks already existed in 1938. With the introduction of mass production, the law mandating reuse was scrapped in 1989. The current legal framework comes mainly from the so-called AGEC law (against waste and for the circular economy) and the Single Use Plastics Directive." By 2023, for example, all packaging material used by hotels, restaurants and cafés for food consumption on site must be reusable," Chartier-Kastler said. "And from 2040 the use of single-use plastic packaging will be banned. All these obligations are already causing reusable systems to gain popularity again."

French reuse market

After describing different perspectives of French consumers on reusable packaging, Chartier-Kastler gave an overview of organisations active in the French reuse market. "The current market is regionally segmented: local companies cover regions of up to a few hundred kilometres. One has to think of organisations that allow consumers to return their packaging from local producers; this is usually bottles and sometimes jars. These organisations clean the packaging and sell it back to the producers. On the other hand, initiatives such as Loop on a national level enable brand owners to sell their most important products through customised reusable packaging. Such initiatives make reuse trendy again. Moreover, the French government is conducting research on standardisation for various product categories at a national level." 

View François Chartier-Kastler's presentation.

Standardisation of reuse

Why standardise? This is one of the questions that Alister Tuck-Sherman (programme manager (RE)SET) discussed in his presentation. "Besides the pressure from French legislation and regulations, standardisation is important to scale up reuse and thus make further steps in the circular economy," said Tuck-Sherman. According to research by (RE)SET) - commissioned by and with CITEO - there are several factors that make the use of reusable packaging a success. "For example, reusable packaging must last for at least x number of rounds and must not be more expensive than new packaging for single use. The process of washing and transportation must be optimised. Standardisation of packaging, merging of washing facilities and harmonisation of return systems and logistics can provide a solution here. Cooperation throughout the chain is key, and if it is up to me, even beyond the national borders.

View the presentation by Alister Tuck-Sherman.

Opportunities in the business-to-business sector

Next up was Shu Zhang, who is president of Réseau Consigne as well as founder and CEO of Pandobac. Réseau Consigne is a foundation with a network of two hundred local entrepreneurs and professionals, whom they support in the use of reusable packaging alternatives. Pandobac is a start-up specialised in business-to-business (B2B) reusable transport packaging. Zhang: "There are plenty of opportunities for reusable B2B systems. However, the challenges are different compared to business-to-consumers, for instance because marketing does not play a role. After all, consumers don't see the B2B packaging. Financial incentives, on the other hand, do play an important role."

View the presentation by Shu Zhang.

Regional deposit systems

"At the moment there is no deposit system for glass bottles in France on a national level. However, there are many regional players and the ambition for 2022 is to bundle these initiatives," said Nicolas d'Aprigny, co-founder of Bout' à Bout'. Bout' à Bout' is one of those regional players. They take care of the collection, washing and repackaging of glass bottles returned by consumers in Pays de la Loire (western France). Like Tuck-Sherman, d'Aprigny sees many advantages of national standardisation.

View the presentation of Nicolas d'Aprigny.

Reuse and retail

Retailers in France are also working hard on reusable packaging. "Reuse is an important part of Carrefour's strategy," said CSR manager Ludivine Delatronchette of the supermarket chain. Loop is one example of this. In the supermarkets, a separate area is set up for Loop, where products of well-known big brands can be found in reusable packaging. Consumers pay a deposit for this, to encourage them to return the packaging later. Loop then cleans these packages and returns them to the suppliers, who refill them. Delatronchette: "It sounds like a simple concept, but we tested it extensively before launching it in the supermarkets. By now the concept is in twenty shops and our ambition is to expand this to five hundred shops by 2025." 

View the presentation by Ludivine Delatronchette.

Marcel Keuenhof, project manager of the KIDV Community of Practice Reusable Packaging responded enthusiastically. "Carrefour talks about five hundred shops in 2025. In the Netherlands, only recently the first supermarket department was set up where you can refill products. There is still profit to be made here for us." The webinar on the French reuse market was the first on experiences abroad with the deployment of reusable packaging. In the next edition - expected at the end of June - it will be Germany's turn. More information will follow in the KIDV newsletter and our calendar.

About the CoP Reusable Packaging

To further explore common challenges and opportunities of reusable packaging, KIDV has established the Community of Practice Reusable Packaging in 2019. It brings together parties that are working to make their packaging more sustainable by studying and implementing reusable options. Participants include supermarkets, brand owners, service providers, start-ups, knowledge institutions and NGOs. Click here for more information about the CoP Reusable Packaging. The next webinar from this CoP is expected to take place in July. Keep an eye on the website for more information.