EU Green Week Partner Events – Increasing the offer of reusable beverage systems in Europe

Beverage packaging has an important role to play in helping create a circular economy in Europe because it is a resource that can (and should) be collected, recycled, and reused multiple times in a closed-loop system.

One way of reducing packaging waste is to use more reusable solutions. The European soft drinks sector, represented by UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, is already using several reusable systems, from returnable refillable containers to in-home dispensers.

As part of its Circular Packaging Vision 2030, Europe’s soft drinks sector aims to increase reuse by 2030 as a complementary way to its continued efforts on recyclability, collection, and recycling of its packaging. This commitment is in line with the European Commission’s aim to increase the use of more reusable packaging solutions in the revision of its Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive.

Against this background, UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe will host an online debate that will bring together industry representatives, NGOs, and EU decision makers to discuss how to make the shift to more reusable beverage solutions a success and what conditions and enablers are necessary to make this transition realistic.