In recent years, reuseable water bottles have become widely popular, from accessorized Stanleys to collectible Hydro Flasks. While these products help reduce single-use plastics, they represent just one piece of a much larger picture. Many everyday items, from beverages like soda, milk, and juice, to take-out food, coffee, and cleaning products, are still packaged in single-use materials, creating consequences for both consumer health and our oceans. In fact, roughly 40% of the plastics currently used are for single-use plastics and packaging – made from a material designed to last forever but used only for a few moments before being discarded.
Prior to the widespread adoption of plastic, glass and metal were commonly used for bottles and containers. These items were often returned to the producer, cleaned, and reused many times before retiring, making them an early example of sustainable packaging systems. The shift to lightweight plastics began with the development of plastic bottles, which were lighter, cheaper, and promoted by the industry as more convenient than glass.
Today, as plastic pollution plagues our planet, it may seem that such a system – where bottles are reused and refilled again and again – is nothing but a relic of the past. But a good idea never goes out of style. And like any great trend, it’s ready for a comeback. From beverages to takeout containers, more businesses and local governments are experimenting with ways to make reuse practical and convenient.
HOW DO REUSABLES AND REFILLABLES WORK?
Instead of disposing of packaging after a single use, reusable and refillable products are designed to be reused repeatedly.
Refillable beverage bottles are a prime example of effective large-scale reuse, but they’re not the only option out there. Lately, we’ve seen some exciting developments with refill and reuse systems for things like takeout containers, grocery delivery packaging, and to-go restaurant packaging.
Some retailers, restaurants, hotels, and food service providers offer refillable bottles and containers that you can buy or borrow. When you’re done, you return them to where you got them or a nearby drop-off spot. The containers are cleaned, refilled, and put back into circulation to be used again and again. r.World for example, brings reuse to live music and sporting events around the United States with their reusable cup system. They typically see upwards of 90% of cups returned.
Large-scale reusable cup and container programs operating at sports arenas, concert venues, festivals, and other events demonstrate another approach. These systems typically offer end-to-end infrastructure, managing cups or container distribution, on-site collection, commercial washing, and redistribution so that businesses can participate in reuse without handling the logistics themselves. Some programs also integrate digital or app-based incentives that reward consumers for returning containers and help ensure they remain in circulation.
HOW IS THIS MORE SUSTAINABLE?
Recycling is often presented as a solution to our plastics crisis, but it falls short, dealing with plastic after it becomes waste. Reuse and refill prevent pollution by reducing the need for single-use plastic in the first place.
When refillable containers reach the end of their life, they can usually be recycled into new products made from the same material. For example, glass containers can be melted down to create new glass bottles, while other materials are processed through appropriate recycling systems. Because these refillable containers are part of closed-loop systems, they typically have high rates of collection and return, making it less likely for them to contribute to pollution, unlike single-use packaging.
In contrast, reusable cup and container programs are built to handle multiple reuse cycles and are supported by reliable collection and washing infrastructure. These systems use durable materials that are specifically chosen to ensure longevity during repeated use. This method helps maximize the environmental benefits of reusing while significantly reducing waste over time.
HOW DO PLASTICS IMPACT PEOPLE, OCEANS, AND OUR ENVIRONMENT?
If you are on social media or even occasionally read the news, you likely Fhave already heard about micro and nanoplastics, and how our air, food and drinking water are all contaminated with small bits of plastic. In addition, the chemicals associated with plastics have been found in human blood, urine, and tissue. As microplastics continue to infiltrate our environment, food, water, and bodies, it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid them.
Plastic bottles aren’t just made of harmful chemicals that can leach into your beverage and cause health issues; they are one of the most common items polluting our oceans and waterways. And it’s not just in populated areas. Over the last 30 years, plastic bottles have become increasingly common among debris found on some remote islands. Over five years of global brand audits* organized by the Break Free From Plastic movement — during which volunteers collect and document branded plastic pollution found in the environment — three consumer goods companies consistently topped the list of the most identified brands: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé.
Plastic production and waste pose a serious and growing threat to ocean health. Scientists estimate that without significant changes to the global plastics system, tens of billions of pounds of additional plastic could enter the ocean by 2040. But that’s not all – almost all plastic is made from fossil fuels, which are notoriously warming our oceans and our climate. Plastic contributes to climate change at each stage of its life cycle – if plastic were a country, it would be the 4th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. Current projections show plastic production tripling by mid-century, far outpacing recycling and resulting in more plastic in the ocean. Reducing reliance on single-use plastic bottles would reduce plastic entering our waterways and oceans and help protect marine ecosystems.
By eliminating unnecessary single-use plastic bottles and packaging, our bodies, oceans, and climate would all be much healthier.
HOW CLOSE IS THIS TO BECOMING A REALITY?
Reusable packaging without single-use plastic is gaining popularity in cities across America. According to a national poll of U.S. registered voters, conducted for Oceana by the nonpartisan polling company Ipsos, 84% of U.S. voters support increasing the use of reusable packaging and food ware. As this shift gains momentum, policymakers are beginning to take notice. Recently, the U.S. Senate passed the REUSE Act of 2025, which would direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to research and prepare a report on the feasibility of refill and reuse systems.
As more Americans try to avoid single-use plastic, local and state governments along with entrepreneurs are stepping in to meet that demand and curb plastic pollution. Businesses across the country are experimenting with innovative ways to offer coffee and meals to go without single-use plastic, while maintaining the same convenience that people expect.
For example, OZZI partners with college and university campus dining centers, sports and entertainment venues, food courts, restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, and other businesses to provide reusable food containers, cups, and utensils. When customers take a clean container, they give the cashier a token or card. When the customer returns the container to an OZZI machine, they receive their token back or card credit.
In another example, Blueland produces cleaning and personal care products in the form of small tablets — buyers add water at home. For example, each tablet makes 20 ounces of cleaner. The customer can order tablet refills as needed to refill their bottles.
Companies like these have provided a jumping-off point for innovative business models that prove we can move away from single-use plastic. A “refill and reuse” economy is in our sights. As more corporations transition to new ways of packaging products, we’ll finally be on the path to safeguarding this planet for future generations.
Oceana is campaigning to stop plastic pollution at the source – by passing local, state, and national policies that reduce the production and use of unnecessary single-use plastic that is flowing into our oceans, while also calling on companies to move to refillable and reusable systems.
You can take action today through Oceana’s campaign demanding Coca-Cola to recommit to a world without waste and increase reusable packaging today.
*Explore the 2022 and 2023 brand audits organized by the Break Free From Plastic movement
