en.Wedoany.com Report on Mar 25th, The U.S. Plastics Pact has released a new report outlining a vision for a reusable packaging system in the retail sector, proposing a "grab-and-go, drop-and-return" model to be promoted starting from areas with existing infrastructure. The Pact launched the "Reuse in Retail Initiative" last year in collaboration with Upstream and WRAP to drive transformation within an extended producer responsibility framework.
The scoping phase was conducted from October 2025 to January 2026, involving nine companies including Unilever and Kraft Heinz. The report identifies "grab-and-go, drop-and-return" as the preferred model, as it reduces operational barriers. Prepared foods like rotisserie chicken are suggested as an initial category due to their ease of integration. The report emphasizes that Extended Producer Responsibility fee structures can incentivize collaboration on reuse programs, and Producer Responsibility Organizations should invest in return infrastructure.
Within the specific U.S. context, the Pact recommends launching the "grab-and-go, drop-and-return" model in Portland, Maine, leveraging its deposit return system. Crystal Bayliss, Interim Executive Director of the U.S. Plastics Pact, stated, "During the scoping phase, we learned that if we want reuse to scale in a retail setting, we must move beyond one-off pilots. Isolated efforts will not build the type of system consumers really need, and the RRI provides a unique opportunity to access broad expertise in one place." The next phase is planned to launch in mid-2026, with a target in-store launch set for 2028.
Bayliss added, "Real progress only happens when the entire value chain works together—sharing costs, reducing friction, and designing solutions that truly work for consumers, retailers, brands, and supply chain operators. Collaborative, multi-stakeholder initiatives like this are an incredibly powerful tool to accelerate this shift, helping businesses meet emerging packaging EPR reuse requirements. We welcome companies to join this exciting effort." Concurrently, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and L'Oréal are participating in the "Reusable City Project" in Ottawa, Canada, testing large-scale reusable systems.
