ETC CE Report 2025/2 Reusable takeaway packaging for food and drinks – scalability of systems towards circularity in Europe
21 Jan 2025
Annelise De Jong, Pieter Willot, Francesca Grossi, Hanna Unsbo, Åsa Romson, Livia El-Khawad, Lars Fogh Mortensen, Tobias Nielsen
Across Europe, systems and initiatives for reusable food and drinks packaging are emerging in various types of gastronomical services, such as restaurants, kiosks, coffee shops and cafés. This study was performed with the aim to understand the status, barriers, and opportunities for scaling up such systems. We identified and interviewed companies and initiatives in eight European countries that focus their business activities on the value chain of reusable packaging. Results show that the systems differ to large extent in terms of market offer, type of (return) system, and type of packaging. To further the viability of reusable takeaway packaging in Europe collaboration across various stages of the value chain should be supported. Furthermore, the development and organisation of the systems should be optimized to meet consumer expectations regarding easy access and cost efficiency, as well as to reduce environmental and climate impact.
