Making Reuse a Reality: A systems approach to tackling single-use plastic pollution, a new report.

Dear friends 

At the BFFP global meeting in Vietnam, we identified a range of research needs that will support the evidence we need to realize reuse solutions to catalyze the transition away from single use plastic. We also established a campaign development team who are working towards building the campaign framework.   

Today, in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth, we launched the research previewed there “Making Reuse a Reality: A systems approach to tackling single-use plastic pollution, a new report.” In the panel , we had Judy Hilton and Steve Fletcher from University of Portsmouth, Joan Marc Simon of ZWE, and Tiza Mafira representing the Indonesian Plastic Bag Diet Movement . This report outlines the stages which will enable the transition away from single use plastic to enable reuse systems to be scaled. It draws on many of the experiences of BFFP members, and recognises the expertise that was shared with the researchers. 

Prioritizing reduction and reuse systems in the Global Plastics Treaty will allow us to very quickly reduce plastic pollution caused by Single Use Plastic.

Reuse is not new. Scalable reuse systems are already in place in many parts of the world, some as part of traditional and cultural practice. We have the examples, the research demonstrates how these models may be scalable across sectors and locations.

Also released today was a video explainer by the Story of Stuff - “The world is absolutely drowning in plastic waste - and almost half of it is just packaging. There is a way out of this. Establishing and scaling up reuse systems could dramatically cut the single-use plastic that ends up as pollution - and it's already happening.”