DEVELOPMENT VERSION – Please provide your questions or comments to spg@cpma.ca

Option 2 – Reuse and Refill

The following actions, individually or collectively, will contribute to achieving the outcomes of reducing the environmental impacts of secondar and tertiary packaging thru the adoption of reuse and refill formats.

Available Courses of Action

  • Action 1 – Consider Reusable Packaging Solutions

Action 1 – Consider Reusable Packaging Solutions

Reusable packaging provides an innovative approach to reducing the environmental impact of single use packaging. Although logistics and other operational considerations are frequently identified as a key challenge to adopting reusable packaging, the historical acceptance of reusable packaging is driving a resurgence in exploring this sustainable packaging alternative.

The following use case(s) provide examples of where reusable packaging has been demonstrated.

Use Cases
Use CaseInnovationApplication Release to Market
IFCO RPCsPooled system of traceable reusable packaging containers (RPCs)Fruit and Vegetables, Organics, Bakery, Dairy & Eggs, Meat, Fish1992
EnvirowrapperReusable Pallet WrapCarbonated and non-carbonated beverage, any palletized product1998
DelMontePooled reusable plastic container (RPC) for bananas replaces single-use corrugated boxBananas2023

Supporting Resources

Useful resources to consider as you explore applying one or more of the above actions to secondary and tertiary packaging include:

General Information
  • Stretch Wrap Alternatives 2021
    CHEP

    In January 2021, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation initiated the Stretch Wrap Alternative Project (SWAP) — including ten companies from its network, to test a commercially viable and geographically scalable circular alternatives to linear stretch wrap, focusing on reuse, recycling, and composting.

  • The Reuse Portal 2022
    United Nations Environment Programme, World Wildlife Fund and the World Economic Forum

    This is an open collaborative platform providing users access to practical guidance, tools and networks to take action and drive momentum for reuse solutions. The platform is still underdevelopment and will be released in phases during 2023/24.