Reusable packaging is a promising way to reduce emissions and packaging waste from the food industry (FPF reported, and here). Despite its potential, reuse has not yet been widely implemented in practice. Four recent studies have delved into what it takes to make the switch from single-use to reusable packaging, revealing some interesting insights.
In July 2024, a study in Sustainable Production and Consumption explored a reusable polypropylene (PP) pizza packaging system in Finland. The research, led by Anna Tenhunen-Lunkka from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, identified four key success factors: consumer desirability, business viability, sustainability, and technical feasibility. They used workshops, surveys, and interviews with consumers, business owners, and experts, along with lab tests on returned packaging, to gather their data. Consumers liked the environmental benefits of the reusable containers and that it kept the pizza intact, but found issues like cutting the pizza outside the container, bulky storage, costly deposit, and return logistics to be drawbacks. The study noted that cultural differences influenced consumer attitudes, with Germans showing more initial enthusiasm for reusable pizza packaging than Brits or Finns, without trying it in practice.
For businesses, the main challenge was making the switch economically viable, which depends on factors like return rates, retention times, and the number of uses per container. Franchise managers appreciated the green image boost but faced hurdles with new processes like washing, QR code scanning, and marketing the reusable option to consumers. Environmentally, the packaging’s impacts are largely driven by the production of raw materials and the washing process, according to sustainability expert interviews. The reusable packaging in the case study was durable and technically feasible, reducing the impact of raw materials per use over time, though some damage, particularly from improper use like cutting, significantly affected its durability. Overall, the study showed that for reusable packaging to roll out successfully the system operators need to understand the details relevant to each stakeholder. The authors also suggest that assessing the desirability, viability, sustainability, and feasibility of reuse systems during the rollout as done in their case study can be useful to “make some interconnections between individual factors [visible].”
Two other recent studies also explored consumer willingness to switch to reusable containers in a takeaway context. In Switzerland, Lisa Selma Moussaoui from the University of Geneva, investigated the support for reusables by the general public and in a university setting with easy access to reusables. Most respondents from the general public stated that they do not yet use reusables, but are willing to switch if issues like hygiene, smell, and logistics are addressed. In the university setting, most of the respondents are already using reusable containers and want to continue. The authors state that “[t]his suggests that making reusable containers easier to use and helping individuals plan how and when they can do it could encourage behavior change.” Meanwhile, at a university setting in China, Ruijuan Li from Renmin University of China and colleagues discovered that students were also mainly concerned about return logistics and hygiene. The Chinese students were more inclined to switch if they believed that reusables provided environmental benefits, and if they thought there was a social expectation to switch.
Reusable packaging is also important in a retail context. Esther Noëth from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, and her co-authors studied reusable retail packaging for 40 food product categories. In an online survey with more than 500 participants, the customers most interested in switching were generally younger, female, and environmentally conscious. While all respondents shopped at regular stores, those who favored reusables were more likely to also visit zero-waste stores and participate in community agriculture. The most promising items for reusable packaging were eggs, dry foods, and bread, while meat and frozen foods had less appeal, even to eco-friendly shoppers. These consumer preferences align with recommendations on packaging and food waste avoidance (FPF reported). Besides reduced shelf life, retail consumers noted similar concerns to takeaway users about hygiene and the extra effort in using reusables. The authors recommend that the “focus should be on designing packaging that appeals to younger customers, but that is also transferable to the older lagging majority”, to ensure the success of reusable packaging.
The Food Packaging Forum together with other non-profits and international food providers including Sodexo, Compass Group, and Aramark are developing a tool for food providers to easily compare packaging materials on multiple impact metrics including reusability. The Understanding Packaging Scorecard (UP Scorecard) is under development but v0.3 is available to try.
References
Tenhunen-Lunkka, A., et al. (2024). ‘Implementing a circular business model for reusable packaging: Multidisciplinary learnings from reusable pizza packaging’. Sustainable Production and Consumption. DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2024.05.006
Moussaoui, L. S., et al. (2023). ‘Psychological determinants of consumption of reusable containers for takeaway food and drinks.’ Waste Management & Research. DOI: 10.1177/0734242X231205470
Li, R. et al (2024). ‘Study on university students’ intention to choose reusable takeaway food containers: evidence from China.’ International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. DOI: 10.1108/IJSHE-08-2023-0363
Noëth, E., et al. (2024). ‘Introducing reusable food packaging: Customer preferences and design implications for successful market entry’. Business Strategy and the Environment. DOI: 10.1002/bse.3820
Other recent research
Sonck-Rautio, K., et al. (2024). ‘Consumer meaning -making of packaging functions for sustainable food packaging – Insights from qualitative research in Finland.’ Current Research in Environmental Sustainability. DOI: 10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100259
Terzioğlu, N., et al. (2024). ‘Archetypes to categorise upstream packaging strategies for a circular economy’. Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances. DOI: 10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200211
Miao, X., et al. (2024). ‘Switching to reuse? An exploration of consumers’ perceptions and behaviour towards reusable packaging systems’. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.106972
Miao, X., et al. (2023). ‘Developing Reusable Packaging for FMCG: Consumers’ Perceptions of Benefits and Risks of Refillable and Returnable Packaging Systems’. EcoDesign for Sustainable Products, Services and Social Systems. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-3818-6_2
Read more
Closed Loop Partners and U.S. Plastics Pact (2024). ‘Unpacking Customer Perspectives on Reusable Packaging.’ (pdf)
Packaging Europe (July 15th 2024). ‘Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and PepsiCo lead city-wide trial of default reusable cups.’
