On 27 May 2025, Value4Pack held the second in its series of thematic Working Group Talks on the 4 R’s, this time zooming in on REUSE. What are the key challenges and how can we overcome these together across Europe? Read on to explore the insights and solutions. 

Understanding the challenges

As part of the Value4Pack project, a cross-European survey was conducted to map the main hurdles related to the 4 R’s in the food packaging value chain. When it comes to REUSE, stakeholders identified six critical challenges: 

• Cleaning and quality control
• Logistics and reverse supply chain management
• Consumer engagement and behavior change
• Collaboration with business partners
• Scalability and economic viability
• Regulatory compliance and standards

To foster a focused and practical discussion during the Working Group Talk, these were grouped into three thematic areas: 

1. Building effective reuse business models
2. Ensuring hygiene and safety throughout the entire reuse cycle
3. Engaging consumers and changing behavior around reusable packaging 

From Barriers to Breakthroughs: Innovative Reuse Solutions Across Europe

In the Working Group Talk, European stakeholders, including SMEs, clusters, research organisations, and policymakers, came together to explore practical solutions for advancing reuse in food packaging. Innovations presented during the talk included: 

• RFID tracking, blockchain networks, and digital product passports to improve traceability and accountability in reuse systems.
• Smart camera systems and sensor-based inspections supporting automated quality control of reusable packaging.
• Closed-loop logistics models, including pooling systems and mobile washing units, helping to streamline reverse supply chains.
• Advanced cleaning processes, validated for microbial and chemical safety, to ensure hygienic reuse across multiple cycles.
• Deposit-refund apps, loyalty schemes, and reuse-friendly packaging design (e.g. refill jars, returnable pizza boxes) to enhance consumer’s acceptance.
• Collaborative pilots involving retailers, municipalities, and SMEs, which are proving to be essential to test, standardise, and scale reuse across regions.

What’s Next?

Through strong collaboration and cross-border knowledge exchange, the Value4Pack Working Group REUSE shows that reuse isn’t just a challenge, it’s an opportunity to build resilient, circular packaging systems across Europe.

📅 The next Value4Pack Working Group Talk “RECYCLE to Innovate Sustainable Food Packaging” will take place on 16 September 2025, 10:00 – 11:00 CET.

👉 To register for the event, follow us on the project's LinkedIn page and stay tuned!

👉 Contribute to this important initiative by sharing your recycling challenges and needs: Value4Pack: Challenges&Needs Survey

Value4Pack is an ambitious EU-funded initiative under the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) programme, aiming to build a resilient and sustainable European food packaging value chain. Bringing together 14 partners and 1 affiliated partner from 11 EU countries, the project fosters interregional collaboration to unlock innovation, investment, and circular solutions, particularly in less developed regions.