Looking for practical tips and advice on reusing a product or its packaging? REuseLab is here to help everyone.
REuseLab’s first appearance at Empack will feature a talk and a workshop offering practical guidance on the reuse of packaging. REuseLab, an impact lab at the University of Antwerp, is investigating what is needed to make reuse work in practice. At Empack, REuseLab aims to engage directly with the packaging industry.
Why do we reuse beer bottles and restaurant cutlery without a second thought, yet a reusable mushroom tray suddenly seems like quite a challenge? “There is still a significant lack of knowledge about how we can extend the lifespan of products,” explains Els Du Bois, research professor at the University of Antwerp and founder of REuseLab. The research centre looks far beyond the question of whether something is technically reusable. Because, according to her, that is not where the biggest challenge lies.
“You can reuse a great many products. The real question is what value chain you need to do so, and how you build confidence that the product can be reused safely and to a high standard.”
This is particularly true of packaging, but equally so for clothing, electronics and the medical sector. Products and materials in these sectors are often written off quickly. “In the healthcare sector, a great many instruments and materials have become single-use,” says Els. “Safety is, of course, always the top priority, but nowadays there is sometimes a perception that safety automatically equates to single-use. We need to learn to think differently about this.”
From ‘consumers don’t want it’ to ‘why not?’
Reuse requires more than just a good product. In the food and medical sectors, users need to be able to trust that inspections, cleaning and quality assurance are carried out properly. What’s more, it’s often simply easier to buy something new and throw the old one away.
“That’s why we mustn’t be too quick to assume: ‘Consumers don’t want it’,” says Sarah Van Vlierberghe, business developer at REuseLab. She acts as a bridge between researchers and businesses, translating scientific studies into practical guidance. “We want to understand exactly what challenges people face. What barriers do they encounter? And, above all: how can we remove them?”
The reusable mushroom tray – a trial involving all the major retailers in Mechelen – is a fine example of this. It took no less than two years to get the entire value chain on board. Ultimately, all the major retailers joined the project: a unique achievement and a powerful signal. At the same time, many questions remain. How will the packaging be returned? What is needed to scale up? And how can consumers be given sufficient opportunities to get used to a new habit? “There won’t be a single solution,” says Els. “But to really learn, we need to move beyond small-scale trials and scale up.”
Ideas and practice
At Empack, REuseLab is therefore actively seeking to engage in dialogue. “The industry must constantly reinvent itself,” says Sarah. “We want to find out what companies need to take the next steps, whilst at the same time sharing our knowledge. It really is a two-way process.”
During a talk and interactive workshop entitled ‘Packaging with Added Value’, REuseLab explores the user’s perspective. “Ideally, visitors will bring their own packaging and challenges with them, so that together we can identify barriers and translate these into possible solutions.”
“Everyone who forms part of the value chain is welcome to join us,” concludes Els. “Everyone has their own challenges, and that’s precisely why we need to include everyone in the discussion. The most important thing? A willingness to think differently together.”
