Of the three action items in the popular phrase ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, one is often neglected: reuse. While reducing consumption and improving recycling systems is important, reuse deserves a closer look—from textiles to appliances, reusing everyday items can be a subtle but powerful choice for sustainability. This is especially evident when it comes to packaging for everyday items like groceries, takeout food and cleaning products.
The government of Canada estimates that plastic packaging (including single-use) makes up more than 37% of plastics on the market, but represents more than 50% of plastic waste generated—less than 14% of which is recycled. To date, most approaches to reducing packaging waste tend to focus on addressing overreliance (such as Canada’s single-use plastics ban) or improving recyclability. However, as we’ve explored in the past, recycling has its limitations, and there’s not yet a robust market for affordable, truly compostable products to fill the gap.
This is where reusable packaging comes in, an option that can not only meet current needs, but be cost effective for businesses and consumers if done correctly. The company Reuse Refill Canada estimates that replacing just 20% of the country’s single-use packaging will not only reduce more than 300,000 tonnes of annual waste, but could create a financial opportunity of more than $700 million.
So, why aren’t reuse systems more widely implemented? Much of it can be chalked up to convenience. To facilitate the reuse of a container, a business must implement extra education for the consumer and factor in transportation costs, storage space and resources to clean or repurpose items. For consumers, there are extra steps involved to return items, which many unfortunately won’t, even when there is a convenient option like a drop off location nearby. There’s usually also an initial cost to consumers, either because a reusable container is pricier, or simply because to refill or reuse an item, that first purchase is required.
Still, widespread innovation is ramping up to introduce reusable packaging into various industries. Food takeout services are attempting the shift, like the recent SkipTheDishes pilot program in Calgary, where the app partnered with a local reusable packaging business, allowing users to order from participating restaurants and return packaging at one of 13 recycling centres. Uber has taken on similar projects, and companies like Friendlier, Crisper Kits, Muuse, and DreamZero all work in the food industry space to help businesses switch to reusable packaging, and get consumers to participate in an effective way. Even grocery giant Loblaws recently partnered with Loop, an online service that allows customers to buy some groceries in reusable, refillable containers.
Clearly, businesses are seeing dollar signs in the opportunity, while addressing growing customer concerns about reducing wasteful packaging. Like many sustainability shifts, unless reusing is convenient, easily integrated, and well managed, it will be challenging to widely adopt—but it’s more than worth the effort.
As the co-founder of 5REDO, Forough brings her expertise in supply chain management, business operations, inventory control, and revenue management to support the implementation of circular solutions within different industry sectors.
As an expert in sustainability, life cycle assessment, circular economy, and green chemistry, Nicolas possesses valuable skills and knowledge that can assist companies in developing and implementing sustainable and environmentally-friendly business models. They can achieve this by utilizing eco-friendly materials, improving manufacturing processes, reducing waste and hazardous chemical use, and advocating for the use of safer and more sustainable alternatives.
With a passion for driving change and creating impact, Mahdi co-founded 5REDO to promote circular economy principles in Canada. He’s an alumnus of the 2021 Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s ‘From Linear to Circular Programme.’ Mahdi played a pivotal role in developing and managing the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Circular Economy Seed Funding program, fostering partnerships between companies and academic researchers to co-create circular solutions.
Originating from Barcelona, Laia’s educational journey led her to pursue secondary studies in the south of France. Her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and International Management allowed her to develop an analytical mindset. During her Master’s in International Business and Management, she engaged in numerous research study cases and actively participated in the creation of different business plans. This helped her develop an ability to critically analyze and address the strategic challenges that companies encounter.
Andre has over 5 years of industry experience in project management, polymer and composite processing, materials characterization, and product development. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Technology from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, where he focused on Polymer and Composite materials. In 2012, he founded a design and manufacturing company specializing in biocomposites made with natural fibers, which he successfully sold in 2015.
Karan is an experienced professional who has worked in multiple geographies and roles along his career. He holds a total of 10+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, and has focused his efforts towards finding solutions for waste recovery and making recovery economical for industries. 
As our Senior Research Scientist, Hormoz draws on his eight years of industrial and nine years of academic research experience in the areas of polymer science and engineering to develop new solutions for advancing circularity and sustainability.
With her significant hands-on experience in developing and characterizing biological and chemical systems, Vicky plays a key role in 5REDO’s efforts toward developing novel products and technologies that offer improved circularity and sustainability to the industry and society. 
With several years of research experience in France and Canada, Fabien lends his expertise and passion for enzymology and microbiology to 5REDO’s sustainability innovation plans. 
By leveraging her expertise in life cycle analysis and process engineering, Ophela helps 5REDO to take a holistic approach to the development of circular solutions and technologies. 
As a recent graduate of chemical engineering from the University of Waterloo, Kyle brings his passion for impactful innovation and his experience with novel recycling processes to 5REDO to support our technology development initiatives. 
Shauna is a freelance journalist that covers a wide range of topics, including health, education, the environment, travel, lifestyle trends, and more. She holds a Master of Journalism from Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Global Development from Queen’s University.