Driven by changing lifestyles, increasing urbanization, and the rise of fast food, disposable packaging was marketed as hygienic, time-saving, and economically efficient. These items—plastic cutlery, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, symbolized progress and mobility in a society increasingly shaped by consumerism and on-the-go consumption patterns.
Today, urban environments are overwhelmed by the volume of single-use packaging waste, particularly from food and beverage products. Packaging accounts for approximately 36% of all plastic production globally, and most is used once before being discarded.
This guidebook focuses on ‘Reuse’ as a strategy to decrease and eliminate waste and pollution from the food and beverage sector. Nevertheless, it is essential to recognize that effective reuse systems do not work in isolation.
