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Reuse is on the Rise, but ‘Much More Needs to be Done’

A new report from Smithers explores the dynamic reusable and refillable packaging market, detailing four reuse/refill strategies as well as new technology innovations that will help the market grow.

Unilever introduced its Dove refill-at-home deodorant package in early 2021.
Unilever introduced its Dove refill-at-home deodorant package in early 2021.

Reusable and refillable packaging is one of the most dynamic sectors of the packaging market in 2022, with rapid growth fueled by innovative formats and the imperative for Consumer Packaged Goods companies to enact more planet-friendly business models. That’s according to a new report from Smithers, “The Future of Refillable and Reusable Packaging to 2027,” which outlines how retailers and brands can make a highly visible commitment to cutting single-use plastics by fundamentally rethinking their packaging for reuse.

According to Smithers’ data, the market for reusable/refillable packaging will reach $42 billion in 2022, up from $35.1 billion in 2017. As the industry looks to new concepts to realize true circularity in packaging, Smithers forecasts future growth at 5% year-on-year reaching a value of $53.5 billion in 2027. Smithers’ analysis identifies four distinct reusable/refillable business models, a categorization that is also laid out in a 2019 publication from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “Reuse – Rethinking Packaging”:

·     Refill-at-home: Users refill a container at home, typically with lightweight or concentrate refills delivered by a mobile refill or subscription service.

·      Return-from-home: Packaging is recovered for reuse from a consumer’s home by the scheme operator or a logistics company working under contract.

·      Refill-in-store: Consumers take reusable containers on their shopping trips to refill via an in-store dispensing point.

·      Return-in-store: Users return the reusable packaging at a store or designated drop-off point, often supported by a deposit return scheme.

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