Scaling Reuse Systems Beyond Recycling: Policy, Industry Commitments, and Plastic Redesign for a Circular Economy

This presentation outlines a critique of conventional recycling and advances reuse systems as central to a circular economy. It argues that recycling represents the final stage of a linear industrial model focused on cost minimisation rather than value retention, noting that only about nine per cent of plastic is currently recycled despite decades of promotion. The document compares two reuse models: centralised collection with reverse logistics and sanitisation, and customer-managed packaging, assessing their advantages, constraints, and geographic suitability.