Adopting reusable packaging for 30% of goods in UK grocery retail could reduce annual system costs by between £314 million and £577 million, according to a new study.
A new study by GoUnpackaged finds adopting reusable packaging for 30% of goods in UK grocery retail delivers financial and environmental benefits compared to single-use packaging.
The study found that moving to 30% reuse could provide between a £314m and £577m annual saving in overall system costs compared to single-use, which is equal to a 12-22% saving.
Producers could also save a £136m annually in Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) costs for the products in scope, the study found.
According to the research, switching to 30% reuse could reduce CO2e emissions by 95% for the products in scope – based on data from the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The study also found that increasing reuse to 30% could reduce packaging materials and waste by 95% for the products in scope, saving more than 300,000 tonnes of packaging waste per year.
Commenting on the research, Rob Spencer, Co-Founder of GoUnpackaged, said: “Our study shows that switching just 30% of goods to reusable packaging is a huge opportunity for producers and retailers to win – environmentally, financially, and even societally, creating jobs and reducing waste.
Our study shows that switching just 30% of goods to reusable packaging is a huge opportunity for producers and retailers to win…
“Reuse is the only viable option to significantly reduce packaging emissions, the volume of valuable materials we’re using, and the vast amount of packaging waste the UK collectively produces.
“That’s why we’re calling on the Industry and Government to work together and take action to move towards 30% reuse, starting now. There’s no excuse to delay tackling the single-use packaging crisis any longer.”
The study was developed with input from an advisory panel made up of Berry, Biffa, CHEP, DEFRA, Ecosurety, Innovate UK, Ocado Retail, Reath, Suez, Tesco, WRAP, and WWF.
The report also contains key recommendations for industry and government to co-design a plan to reach 30% reuse by 2035 by coordinating retailers, supply chain logistics, waste management, and local authorities.
The Advisory Panel released a joint statement that said: “The modelling results show, for the first time, an evidenced view of reuse working at scale in the UK for grocery retail, enabling industry and government to make insightful decisions about how to move forwards to co-create the necessary transition to reuse in the UK.
“We look forward to bringing the value chain together in June to kick-start the discussion of the next practical steps towards wide scale reuse in the UK.”
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