As efforts to address the global plastic waste and pollution crisis increase, there is a growing focus on reuse as a solution. Reuse systems can provide a number of potential benefits over conventional linear approaches, but it is important to ensure that these systems are built on a solid set of principles. This position paper seeks to lay out a framework through which reuse systems can support WWF’s vision of No Plastic in Nature.
Reusable packaging is packaging designed to be used multiple times for the same purpose for which it was conceived. While single-use packages are designed to be thrown away after one use, reuse systems employ a circular system where packaging can be used, cleaned, refilled, and reused, over and over again. Reusable packaging is not transformed for a different purpose, and it is supported by a functional system that enables the package to repeatedly serve the same purpose.
This position paper was updated in January 2024 to include recommendations on return and refill modalities.
