The growth of online grocery sales and consumption of takeaway food has increased demand for single-use packaging. This has led to an increase in global waste management challenges. According to Eurostat, the total amount of packaging waste generated in the EU increased by 20 per cent between 2009 and 2020. The amount of waste is now 80 million tonnes, or about 178 kilos per EU citizen. Unless radical changes are made, the amount of packaging waste will increase by a further 19 per cent by 2030.
The Reusify research project, which is based on co-innovation and funded mainly by Business Finland, aims to develop a system that enables the reuse of packaging in Finland. It also aims to reduce the use of packaging materials, reduce fossil raw materials used in the manufacturing and reduce packaging waste. The project has a total budget of around EUR 2 million and will take around 2.5 years to complete.
“The transition from single-use to reusable packaging is an important step towards a circular economy. It requires extensive analysis of business processes from different perspectives. We also need a robust network of partners that engages the entire value chain, from packaging producers to logistics, retail, packaging maintenance and waste management,” says Ali Harlin, Research Professor at VTT.
In addition to K Group, the consortium includes other major players, such as S Group, plastics companies Borealis and Orthex, waste management and treatment specialists such as Lassila & Tikanoja, and food- and multi-service company Compass Group Finland. A list of all the partners can be found at the end of the release.
“The research project explores various dimensions of reuse, such as the ecosystems and business models formed by different operators, the design of recycling systems, reusable packaging solutions, and scenarios and trade-offs related to sustainability. We will also analyse consumer attitudes towards reusable packaging and how to make it more attractive,” says Kyösti Pennanen, Senior Researcher from the University of Vaasa.
K Group actively seeks new circular economy solutions
The circular economy is one of the key factors in both mitigating climate change and stopping biodiversity loss. Therefore, advancing the circular economy is a strategic choice for K Group and one of the cornerstones of its sustainability work. The targets set in Kesko’s packaging and plastics policies aim to reduce the use of packaging and plastic and improve the recyclability of packaging. Together with its suppliers and partners, K Group is constantly seeking new solutions for finding easily recyclable and reusable packaging.
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