The Urgency of Getting Reuse Right
Great Lakes C
What is needed to make reusable packaging the default choice and transform packaging from a product to a service? What will it take to design reuse systems that work?
Reuse continues to be a critical lever to advance the circular economy. As more reuse programs are rolled out across the U.S., a variety of technical factors determine whether or not a reuse system truly supports zero waste goals.
Designing to ensure that reusable packaging is actually reused, whether in open environments or closed systems––and does not end up as waste at its eventual end of life––involves numerous considerations, including material choice, consumer behavior and recovery infrastructure. In this session we'll discuss what needs to be true for reuse to work at scale, highlighting consumer behavior insights from in-market tests, and the reality of reusable packaging recovery today.