Welcome to the Solutions Database,
a guide to technologies, strategies, and best practices for reducing plastic waste

Users purchase a product in a reusable container and return the packaging at a store or drop-off point after use. The packaging is either cleaned where it is returned (e.g. at a retail site) or a business or service-provider takes care of the cleaning and redistribution of the packaging. (3)

Key benefits:

• Smooth and efficient operations can be achieved using smart systems where packaging is tagged with individual IDs, allow-ing businesses to follow stock, control deposit pay-out, and obtain user insights. Brands and retailers can even remove the need to be responsible for the reuse system by contracting “reuse as a service” businesses to handle the reuse system, offer items required, and take care of collection, washing, and redistribution (3).
• Packaging remains an asset to the business, calling for optimized packaging design and production to reduce upfront cost and resource use while maintaining utility and durability (3). Users can enjoy a better experience through this improved functionality and/or aesthetics of the packaging (2).

Key watch-outs:

• To lower system costs and ensure convenient and seamless drop-off for users, businesses can share return locations, collection systems, and cleaning infrastructure. Standardizing packaging design (e.g., interchangeable beverage bottles across brands/product categories) and establishing a common reverse logistics process can help make this reuse model affordable and feasible for the whole value chain as system costs can be reduced by optimizing storage, transport, sorting, and washing (3). Efficient local reverse logistics, cleaning, and refilling infrastructure are particularly important to ensure economic as well as environmental feasibility (2).
• To promote brand loyalty and higher return rates, deposit/reward schemes can be deployed, or users can be penalized for non-return. De-signing the point-of-return for accessibility, brand alignment, and hygiene to make return easy and seamless -- for example by ensuring a high density of easy-access return points – will help build long-term success (3,1).

• Beverages are a good place to start and these return on the go models can be found across almost all continents, including re-usable Coca Cola bottles in Latin America, Conscious Container in the US, and standardized reusable glass beer and water bottles in Germany (3).
• Products consumed on the go in cities and at events, such as takeaway coffee, beverages, and take-away food (3,2). While on the go consumption is highly applicable for restaurants, cafes, and canteens, re-tailers offering fresh salad bars, juice station, or in-store coffee machines can also move to returnable packaging models.

Initial guidance on applicability of this solution per plastic type:

• Muuse - Reusable cup solution for network of cafes: Users can borrow a reusable cup by scanning a QR code on the cup, and return it to any of the partnering cafés.
• Enviu's Koinpack: Reuse system for single-serve personal and home care products.
• Hepi Circle in Indonesia: Small-format reusable bottles for household goods. With the aim of replacing hard-to-recycle sachets, Hepi Circle allows users to purchase small quantities of household products in reusable bottles. Customers purchase a small refillable bottle with a household product (e.g. detergent) from Hepi Circle through a warung (local family-owned convenience store). Once they have used the product, the empty bottle is exchanged at the warung for the purchase of a full bottle. The empty bottle is cleaned and refilled at a central location, and then redistributed to the warungs, by bike, ready for the next customer.