Unpacking Reuse in the Plastic Pollution Treaty

A key area of opportunity in the plastic pollution treaty is the promotion of reuse, and particularly a transition from single-use to reusable products. Reuse has the potential to reduce material use (as one item can substitute for multiple single-use items) and the leakage of material into the environment (both by placing fewer longer-life items into circulation, and directly incentivizing the responsible return of those items into reuse systems). It also offers additional environmental co-benefits, most notably in terms of potential emissions savings. Identifying the most promising reuse applications and the ways in which a global treaty can facilitate positive systemic change is the purpose of this report