2025

Ruohomäki, Ismo; Palmgren, Rosa; Kaipia, Riikka

This document describes the initial supply chain design for reusable packaging<br/>to be applied in the take-away food context. The report synthetises knowledge<br/>about reusable packaging systems drawn from selected EU reports and<br/>company-specific reports, as well as learnings from the implementation of<br/>reusable packaging in Europe and Canada.<br/>This report focuses on the operational reuse system for reusable consumer<br/>packaging and describes the necessary supply chain activities, as well as<br/>identifying the actors that need to run it. It also discusses the prerequisites for<br/>the logistics infrastructure that will enable the reuse of packaging.<br/>The report studies the level of centralisation in washing solutions, including the<br/>trade-offs between centralised and local washing. It provides insights into<br/>economies of scale compared to the benefits of local washing.<br/>We offer examples of solutions for reusable packaging transport units to ensure<br/>efficient handling throughout the supply chain, including washing. We also<br/>explore incentives to promote the use of existing infrastructure for reuse,<br/>including evaluating the actors responsible for managing and participating in the<br/>reuse system. The concept of shared assets is discussed.<br/>Additionally, the consumer's role as part of the reuse supply chain and the<br/>interfaces with consumers will be outlined from the operational viewpoint.<br/>The geographical scope of reusable package systems is discussed and the<br/>possibilities for scalability are evaluated. The report identifies bottlenecks that<br/>could affect the scalability of logistics and washing solutions.<br/>The main result of this report is the system design of the reusable packaging<br/>supply chain that builds on the reference cases. The solution provided and the<br/>optional approaches presented are intended to help companies design the<br/>logistics solution in their joint experiment.