Viability of Reusable Packaging Systems: Interviews With Dairy Stakeholders, 2024

Motivation and Aims: Despite the widely reported potential of reusable packaging systems and their inclusion in national plastics pacts, their uptake in the UK remains very limited. This study was motivated by the need to understand the reasons for this slow adoption, aiming to reduce plastic packaging waste and resource use. Focusing on the UK dairy sector, a significant contributor to grocery plastic packaging, the research used a hypothetical model of yogurt supplied in returnable pots as a case study. The central aim was to use this model to identify and analyse the barriers and enablers to implementing a large-scale reusable packaging system by interviewing stakeholders from across the proposed supply chain.
Data and Topics Covered: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals from companies representing key stages of the supply chain, including packaging and yogurt manufacturers, retailers, logistics providers, waste management, and reuse start-ups.
The interviews explored several core topics, including participants' current operational processes, their company's stance on single-use plastics, and previous engagement with reuse trials. The key focus was on identifying the perceived benefits, barriers, and necessary triggers for change, such as legislation or standardisation.
Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed eight distinct "storylines". While interviewees generally agreed that ‘reuse is the future’, most discussion centred on the significant barriers. Prominent topics included the lack of a proven business case (‘there is no room for altruism in the boardroom’), insufficient data to justify investment (‘we don’t have the numbers’), and concerns over brand identity (‘brand is packaging’). Other key themes were the perception that ‘consumers aren’t ready’, and the consensus that progress requires collaboration, considerable effort, and essential legislation and standardisation.