Today, Closed Loop Partners’
Center for the Circular Economy
and the US Plastics Pact released new insights to
facilitate the ongoing expansion of reusable packaging solutions in the US.
The report, Getting Ready for Reuse in
Retail,
identifies five high-priority product categories primed for near-term
implementation of reusable packaging and serves as a guide for businesses
looking to pinpoint packaging formats best suited for reuse, to cut costs along
with single-use packaging
waste.
The report is released at a time of increased scrutiny on the economic and
environmental impact of single-use plastic packaging in the
US;
every day, 225,000 tons of single-use packaging are used in this country alone.
Research and in-market tests over the last decade have shown the importance of
reuse and refill
systems
in a circular packaging economy. However, implementing
reuse
requires significant shifts in operations and infrastructure, reverse logistics
and consumer education. To advance a successful shift to reuse at
scale,
it is critical to begin with categories that show the most immediate potential
to meet intended environmental, operational and financial goals.
As central hubs of consumer interaction, retail stores are uniquely positioned
to lead a transition to reuse. They can scale reuse systems that can transform
the way US consumers shop while minimizing ecological impact.
After analyzing the 10 consumer product categories that account for over 90% of
purchased packaged goods sold in US grocery retail stores, the study identified
the top five product categories best suited for near-term adoption of reuse:
-
Prepared food packaging in retail — such as for salad
bars,
snack bars and rotisserie chickens
-
Fresh produce containers, especially if pre-cut and packed locally
and manually
-
Beverage bottles for localized supply chains such as milk and dairy,
leveraging legacy reusable packaging supply chains
-
Home care product bottles, such as liquid cleaners and
detergents, which often are already in durable containers
-
Personal care product bottles, such as soaps and shampoos,
especially if they can leverage similar return
infrastructure
as bottles from beverage or home care products.
The report delves into insights and opportunities within each category,
including its potential to deliver environmental benefits and achieve
operational alignment and consumer acceptance.
“Reuse is at a pivotal point of development in the US. To get to the next phase
of scale, it is critical to align concerted efforts around target categories,”
said Kate Daly, Managing Partner and Head
of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “With
collaborative and coordinated work that reimagines our supply chains across
retail sectors, we can transform the way everyday products are used and
recovered — paving the way to a future where reuse is an everyday norm in the
US.”
Since 2018, the Center for the Circular Economy has worked to eliminate
packaging and material waste through reuse solutions in retail stores and
restaurants across the US — with industry giants joining forces and gathering
insights from promising recent pilots by the Center’s Consortium to Reinvent
the Retail
Bag
and NextGen
Consortium.
The latter’s most recent foray was 2024’s Petaluma Reusable Cup
Project
— which brought together brands including Starbucks, PepsiCo and Yum!
Brands in the nation’s first citywide program to offer free reusable to-go
cups to every customer. The results of the pilot, released last month, showed
environmental benefits in three months and proved the viability of reuse
programs at
scale.
The Center and the US Plastics Pact
The US Plastics Pact brings together businesses, NGOs, government agencies,
trade organizations and research institutions to work together toward a common
vision of a circular economy for
plastics
— in which plastics never become waste. The US Pact's latest strategic plan,
Roadmap
2.0,
includes a target dedicated solely to reuse.
The Center began its collaboration with the US Plastics Pact in 2023 — engaging
the customer bases of 16 reuse innovators participating in the Pact’s Reuse
Catalyst Program, and studying
early-adopter behavior to discover five key insights on how reuse systems can be
positioned to create the most appeal for consumers.
“Collaboration across the value chain is essential to addressing the complex
challenge of plastic waste, as no single brand or retailer can drive systemic
change alone,” said Jonathan
Quinn, CEO of the US Plastics
Pact. “This research is an important step in exploring reuse as one strategy to
reduce plastic waste, providing insights that can help advance collective action
and support a range of scalable solutions.”
While this report highlights five retail product categories that are most primed
for a near-term transition to reuse, other retail categories present
opportunities for the long term. However, before scaling to other categories, it
is important to begin with those primed for the switch and gather insights to
inform further implementation.
In the coming year, the Center will continue scaling reuse solutions through
in-market activations and research. And as a direct result of this report, the
US Plastics Pact will launch a precompetitive initiative to facilitate brands
and retailers in shifting one product category to reuse in retail.
Get the latest insights, trends, and innovations to help position yourself at the forefront of sustainable business leadership—delivered straight to your inbox.
Sustainable Brands Staff
Published Mar 11, 2025 9am EDT / 6am PDT / 1pm GMT / 2pm CET