Returnable plastic packaging could slash emissions by 35 to 70% but only if packaging is designed collaboratively across industry and operated at large scale.
A new Ellen MacArthur Foundation study modelled four different returnable packaging applications – beverages, personal care, fresh food, and food cupboard – and their single-use equivalents.
The model highlighted that if returnable packaging is scaled across industry to 40%, carbon emissions for beverage bottles can be reduced by 69% compared to single-use counter parts.
The model showed similar statistics for personal care products, with a 60% reduction in Co2e reduction. Fresh food packaging could be reduced by 52% if scaled, and food cupboard packaging by 35%.
Subscribe to Sustainability Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest sustainability news sent straight to your inbox everyday
Ellen MacArthur Foundation plastics initiative lead Sander Defruyt said: “It’s time for a reuse revolution. Embracing this gives us the opportunity to tackle plastic pollution, ease pressure on our natural resources, and make strides towards net zero.”
Defruyt warned however that scaling reuse and returnable packaging will be a “major transition” and “won’t happen overnight”.
“No single organisation can drive the necessary change by itself; it will require a collaborative effort from businesses, policymakers and financial institutions,” he added.
Recommendations across all parties include working collaboratively to implement shared infrastructure and packaging standardisation, and to reach high return rates.
“Together they can kick start the reuse revolution and get the world on track to tackling the plastic crisis,” concluded Defruyt.