Refill & Reuse

Last updated by Krystal Raynes on November 20, 2024

We need to focus on formal reuse and refill systems to solve our existential plastic pollution and waste problems.

The 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Many people fixate on reducing their environmental footprint by recycling, thinking it is the best thing to do. However, in 2021, only 5 percent of postconsumer plastic waste in the United States was recycled. The intent of the 3 R's is to place emphasis first on source reduction, then stressing reuse of our resources, and then recycling when the first two options have been exhausted.

Recycling alone cannot solve our plastic pollution problem; it is imperative that society move to replace disposable items with reusable ones and create systems to support the circulation, cleaning, and reuse of said items.

What exactly is reuse?

According to a paper in Frontiers in Sustainability, an academic journal aligned with UN Sustainability Development Goals, a reuse solution is “an activity that directly facilitates or encourages the use and circulation of reusable packaging and food ware for the same purpose for which it was created.”

While reuse solutions at home – such as repurposing pasta jars or yogurt containers beyond its intended immediate single use purpose-- can be a way someone can reduce their individual footprint, CAW believes that reuse solutions should come from the source. CAW advocates for the implementation formal reuse systems that are established by an organization or business to the largest impact that is the easiest for the consumer.

While there are multiple ways formal reuse systems can be implemented through legislation, this page will focus on two formal reuse systems: reusable foodware policies and reuse and refill systems for packaging.

Why switch to reusable foodware?

We must make the shift to reusable foodware (“reusables”) in order to cap the torrential wave of single use plastics harming our planet and our wallets.

Single use foodware, intended to be used minutes at a time, is taking an eternal toll on our environment. Single use foodware is one of the largest sources of plastic pollution. According to the U.S. EPA, about one million tons of plastic food service ware ended up in the waste stream in 2018. It is estimated that 85% of plastic single use foodware is still in existence, accumulated in landfills or the natural environment.

Reusable foodware goes beyond the restaurant. Environmental advocates push for reusable foodware at large venues like concert halls, hospitals, and schools.

Reusables beat single use plastics by every environmental measure. Upstream, a nonprofit dedicated to reuse movement in the US & Canada, found that when reused, reusables have lower a CO2 footprint, lower greenhouse gas emissions, use less water, and is overall less wasteful than the single-use options (paper, PET, EPS, PP, PLA, laminated cardboard). ReThink Disposable, an award-winning program of Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund, found that by switching 80 Alameda food businesses over to reusables eliminated almost 2,500,000 pieces of single use foodware.

Reusables also save businesses and consumers money. Restaurants that participate in Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Restaurant program found significant cost savings and ReThink Disposable’s pilot program of 80 Alameda businesses a collective savings $139,231 each year. Cost savings from switching to reuse can also be attributed to smaller trash bills; Upstream found that $6 billion is spent by businesses and city governments on solid waste management costs attributable to disposable food packaging. Cost savings for businesses means cost savings for consumers!

Below is an easy to understand graphic describing the environmental and economic impacts of a single use foodware model.

Graphic by Upstream’s Reuse Wins Report.

The case for reusables is clear – reuse is better for our environment and our pockets.

Legislation sponsored or supported by CAW for Reuse for Dine In

CAW has a history of sponsoring and supporting legislation to advance reusables.

AB 1276 (Carillo & Gonzalez, Chapter 505, Statutes of 2021) requires businesses to provide single use food and beverage accessories only upon request to customers, and requires reusable food service ware for specified on-site dining. AB 1276 was supported by CAW and was signed by the Governor. Read more information about the bill here.

SB 1167 (Blakespear, 2024) would have required large chain restaurants to serve beverages in reusable cups for dine-in customers. SB 1167 was sponsored by CAW and was held in the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality. Read more information about the bill here.

CAW also works on a local level to support ordinances that prioritize reuse on dine in and in other venues. CAW is an active and participating member of ReusableSF and ReusableLA, both of which are coalitions of environmental advocates dedicated to championing reuse policies in the counties of San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively.

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

What are reuse and refill systems in packaging?

Reuse and refill is an incredibly important waste-reduction tool which can (and does) divert millions of tons of garbage from landfills every year.

According to Refill, there are four different reuse models for packaging:

Refill On-the-Go: A system where consumers carry reusable containers and refill them while out. Facilities like water fountains or bulk dispensing systems support this system. Examples of this can look like bringing your own cup to a coffee shop.
Refill at Home: A system that focuses on allowing consumers to refill containers with products. This system relies on consumers to “buy in bulk” and refill containers when empty. Examples of this can include concentrated cleaning solutions that can be diluted at home.
Return from Home: A system inspired by traditional milk delivery systems. This model delivers groceries and household products in reusable packaging, with empty containers collected directly from customers’ homes. Examples of this include South Korea’s “Zero Restaurant” project that offers food deliveries in reusable containers and containers are collected at consumers homes.
Return On-the-Go: Encourages users to return packaging at designated drop-off points, often through deposit systems or reverse vending machines. An example of this is The Petaluma Reusable Cup Project, a pilot project that asked consumers to drop off reusable cups at specified return locations.

These models work together to reduce waste and normalize reuse in packaging.

What are the benefits of reusable packaging?

Reuse and refill systems for packaging have many benefits.

According to Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution: Progress, Principles, and Priorities published by the Biden-Harris administration, transitioning to reusable systems has the potential to address the challenges posed by the current reliance on single use plastic packaging. Single use plastic packaging is often designed to meet cost and performance needs and as a result, often incorporate a wide variety of polymers and additives that can harm human health and the environment. According to the U.S. EPA, their complexity makes them difficult to recycle, contaminating recycling streams and causing damage to infrastructure.

Reusable systems, by contrast, reduce the dependency on mixed-material products, simplify materials management and lower costs for recycling infrastructure. Unlike single-use packaging, which often ends up in landfills, incinerators, or as litter, reusable systems promote a circular economy where products are designed for durability, refillability, and repeated use. This shift not only minimizes waste but also alleviates the burden on consumers and local governments to manage complicated and costly waste streams.

To learn more about hard to recycle plastics, check out our page about Polystyrene and Other Non-Recyclable Plastics.

Legislation sponsored or supported by CAW on reuse and refill systems

CAW has a history of sponsoring and supporting legislation to advance reuse and refill systems:

AB 619 (Chiu, Chapter 93, Statutes of 2019) allows the use of reusable food and beverage containers at restaurants and temporary events. CAW sponsored this legislation and was signed by the Governor. Read more information about the bill here.

AB 962 (Kamlager, Chapter 502, Statutes of 2021), supports refill and reuse beverage containers by authorizing CalRecycle to allow reusable bottles to flow through the state’s bottle bill program. CAW sponsored this legislation and was signed by the governor. Read more information about the bill here.

SB 54 (Allen, Chapter 75, Statutes of 2022), requires a Producer Responsibility Organization make a plan which establishes and funds reuse systems for consumer packaged goods (CPG). CAW supported this legislation and was signed by the governor. Read more information about the bill here.

AB 1953 (Maienschein, 2022) would have required certain public areas to install and maintain accessible water bottle refill stations. CAW sponsored this legislation. This bill was held in the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Read more information about the bill here.

Other statistics about reuse and refill systems

Oceana reports that “just a 10-percentage point increase in reusable beverage packaging by 2030 could eliminate over 1 trillion single-use plastic bottles and cups and prevent up to 153 billion of these containers from entering our world’s oceans and waterways.”

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that “businesses have an opportunity to save some $10 billion in material costs if they replace just 20 percent of their single-use plastic packaging with reusable alternatives.”