The plastic reuse solution

What do Mount Everest and the Mariana Trench have in common? Unfortunately, the answer is plastic waste. Both in the deepest part of the ocean, and on top of the tallest mountain in the world, plastic waste continues to spread to even the most remote parts of our planet. And it’s no surprise as our world produces about 430 million metric tons of plastic every year, 41% of it pollutes our planet. The biggest culprit is single-use items such as plastic cutlery, packaging and microplastics that break off of larger pieces of plastic.

If we continue on this path, by 2040, we’ll have triple the amount of plastic in nature.

Despite these statistics, there are glimmers of hope in helping solve this crisis. One is reuse – enabling products or packaging to be used multiple times for their original purpose. By extending the life of the resources we do use, reuse models can help us use less plastic. Effective reuse systems can drive more responsible use of materials, enable consumer behavior change, and help us better value the materials we use.

A reusable system is also beneficial for business. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, reuse systems that replace 20% of single-use plastic packaging represent a $10 billion opportunity, benefiting people and planet.

Currently, reuse is on the rise across the country. From city-wide reuse initiatives to reusable options at sports venues, business is joining forces with multi-stakeholders, helping us move closer to a circular economy for plastic in the United States.

Reuse In Petaluma

Just 40 miles north of San Francisco is the city of Petaluma, California, known for its historic architecture and award-winning food scene. Petaluma was also home to the Petaluma Reusable Cup Project from the NextGen Consortium, an industry collaboration led by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy. The innovative program trialed the first ever city-wide reusable cup initiative in the U.S.

Participating restaurants and cafes replaced single-use cups with reusable ones at no charge to the public. When consumers ordered a drink, they were offered free to-go reusable cups as the default option. Consumers then could either bring the cup back to any participating location or drop it off at a designated purple return bin across the city. Returned cups were then professionally washed, sanitized, inspected, and returned to be used again.

The project was funded by major global brands, including Starbucks, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Yum! Brands (including KFC, Taco Bell, and Habit Burger & Grill), and included participation from the City of Petaluma and local businesses including, Divine Mother Tea N Coffee, Mary’s Pizza Shack, Petaluma Pie Company, and Petaluma Coffee & Tea.

Effective reuse systems must be socially resilient—serving communities effectively while remaining accessible, equitable, and inclusive—as demonstrated by the Petaluma Reusable Cup Project. In the three months the project ran, 51% of all purple cups were returned, over 220,000 cups in total, surpassing the environmental break-even point – this means that enough cups were returned to yield environmental benefits when compared with a single-use alternative. In a local survey, 80% of participants also expressed interest for this project to continue. Altogether, this project demonstrated what it takes to scale reuse in real time and the importance of multi-brand and public-private partnerships to widen the accessibility of reuse.

The NextGen Consortium will continue to build upon the insights learned from Petaluma to implement long-term, city-wide reuse programs that are better for people and planet and work for businesses, too..

Circularity in Sports Stadiums

Another opportunity for reuse can be found in U.S. sports venues. These stadiums hold anywhere from 60,000 to over 80,000 people, and an estimated 350 million fans attend sports and other large-venue events each year across the U.S., using approximately 3 billion single-use items, per Upstream estimates. Imagine if those items could be reclaimed, kept out of the trash and out of nature, and used again.

According to the Green Sports Alliance, stadiums are uniquely positioned to implement reuse in their venues, as they house tens of thousands of guests at each event, and with their influence, can encourage fans to adopt reuse both in stadiums and in their daily life.

Some stadiums across America already have waste diversion tactics in place and are on the path toward zero waste. In 2024, Soldier Field in Chicago implemented a reusable cup program inside the United Club in partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper, ASM Global, Levy, and Bold Reuse. Fans receive reusable cups from a concession stand, with sizes varying depending on the drink, and then return in a marked collection bin. From there, cups will be collected, cleaned, sanitized, and returned.

“We’ve learned that collective action is critical to finding viable solutions to complex environmental challenges like the advancement of a circular economy,” said Monique Oxender, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at Keurig Dr Pepper. “We’re proud to team up with leaders like the Chicago Bears and Bold Reuse to pilot this program at Soldier Field and learn more about scaling reuse models in the U.S.”

With major upcoming events like the FIFA Men's World Cup in 2026 and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, many of these venues around the country are preparing for the big games and the influx of waste management that comes along with massive crowds. In Los Angeles, Crypto.com Stadium, an arena chosen for the 2028 Summer Olympics, has already implemented a full time reusable program. In collaboration with r.World, all single-use cups were replaced with reusable options at all food and beverage spots throughout the stadium.

Stadiums and sports teams are community anchors and critical catalysts for behavior change and scaling reuse implementation regionally.

In March, a Reuse Symposium, hosted by the Green Sports Alliance, brought together a mix of businesses, reuse providers, venue operators, and NGOs to highlight successful efforts toward reuse in stadiums.

“Venue operators, reuse providers, and their vendors shared their experiences on the practicality of reuse in sports stadiums,” said Mary Jo Snavely, Director, Plastic Waste and Business at WWF. “We learned not only is it possible, but 90-95% return rates for reusable products were achievable. And with how large these stadiums are and the number of fans participating, it gives hope to the broader adoption of reuse across the U.S.”

Mary Jo also spoke on a panel with Gina Lambert, Pacific Northwest Division Manager, Swire Coca-Cola and Christy Briggs, Sustainability Manager, Seattle Seahawks / Lumen Field that focused on how effective reuse systems will enable individual behavior change, drive more responsible use of materials, and help us become more conscious of how we value the materials we use.

“Sports inspire culture at scale—by embracing reuse, teams and venues can lead a movement that shifts habits, reduces waste, and powers a more circular economy,” said Michael Kraus, Sr. Director of Operations and Sustainable Events at Green Sports Alliance. “When fans see reuse in action, it becomes part of the game—and everyday life.”

On the Global Stage

Reuse isn’t the only glimmer of hope on the horizon when it comes to halting plastic waste in nature. At the end of 2024, world leaders attended the fifth negotiations for a global treaty to end plastic pollution (INC-5) in Busan, Korea. This meeting focused on making evidence-based decisions to deliver a final, ambitious treaty that nature needs. Though the meeting ended without an agreement, negotiations will resume this August 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.

For businesses, a treaty would ensure all governments and businesses play by the same, binding rules for plastic production, reuse, and disposal. This will make it easier and more cost-effective for all types of businesses to realize their full potential to make an impact.

“Though the last negotiations toward a global treaty to end plastic pollution ended in stalemate, it’s not over, and there is still a lot of work to do ahead of the next round in August,” says Erin Simon, Head of Plastic Waste and Business at WWF. “We can’t back down on delivering a legally binding text that finally puts us on a course to eliminate plastic pollution. It’s an all in approach, and we look to all actors, including business, to continue showing support, help bridge divides with other companies, and reach an agreement for a treaty that both people and nature need.”

Read more from WWF's Erin Simon on the global plastics treaty