A new report from Oceana International has revealed that a 10% rise in reusable beverage packaging by 2030 could remove more than one trillion single-use plastic bottles and cups from the environment.
The potential shift could also prevent up to 153 billion of single-use containers from entering oceans and waterways.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Major beverage corporations such as the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo claim they already have extensive global reusable systems in operation and have committed to boosting the use of reusable packaging in the sale of their respective beverages by at least 10% by 2030.
The report showed that there are reusable packaging systems already in operation globally, including in the Philippines, where 40% of all packaged non-alcoholic beverages are sold in reusable bottles.
It also pointed out that various reusable cup systems are currently in use in the US and Europe, such as TURN, r.World, and Re-uz.
Major companies and organisations, such as Live Nation, have already adopted these systems.
Live Nation revealed that its transition to the TURN reusable cup system at numerous festivals and venues is aimed at lowering its own environmental footprint.
The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will have French provider Re-uz as its delivery partner, aligning with the commitment to reduce the single-use plastic footprint of the Paris Games by 50% when compared to the London 2012 Games.
Oceana Strategic Initiatives vice-president Matt Littlejohn said: “We need companies and governments to stop betting on the wrong horse with recycling and to prioritise the expansion and re-establishment of reusable packaging systems instead.
“By switching to this real circular solution, we can drastically reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in our oceans, in the bellies of whales and turtles, and washed up on our beaches.”
