WP4 - A treasure hunt for reuse
Our WP4 adventurers have come far, navigating the lands of ownership models and tracking methods. They battled the beasts of single-use dependency and navigated the rapid rivers of consumer behaviour. Now, they must find a treasure rumoured to exist - a system where reusable packaging is not just possible but profitable, scalable, and seamless. Each clue must be solved and pieced together to reveal the full map: D4.2 – Setup of the Alternative Value Chain for Reuse.
Clue One: The Keepers of the Chain
The first step is identifying the key stakeholders in the reuse value chain. Some were familiar travelers, already engaged in circular systems. Others needed a guiding hand. The map required everyone: manufacturers, brand owners, retailers, logistics providers, and cleaning services. Policy makers, municipalities, waste management companies, competitors, staff, technology providers, and consumers also played a role. Each stakeholder held a piece of the puzzle. Their roles shaped the logistics of reuse. Some needed to alter their operations and adjust supply chains. Others had to rethink their incentives and collaborations.
Clue Two: The Compass of Reverse Logistics
All good reusable packaging journeys need a reliable return path, and WP4 examined the various roads - open-loop and closed-loop systems, B2B and B2C packaging flows - each requiring a different navigation strategy:
Collection and transport had to be mapped efficiently. Would customers return packaging to stores? Would logistics networks integrate it into existing routes?
Cleaning and sanitisation posed its own trials. Should businesses handle it in-house or entrust it to professional cleaning companies?
Shared infrastructure could lighten the burden, but who would invest in building and maintaining it?
Clue Three: The Enchanted Scroll of Scale and Circular Fate
Maps are useless if they lead only to small, isolated treasures. The heroes needed to predict the future, ensuring reuse systems were not just theoretical but viable at market scale. They uncovered ancient texts - economic models and feasibility studies - revealing the enablers and challenges of large-scale reuse. Which industries could make use of the packaging developed? How could regulations drive adoption? They even glimpsed into the distant horizon, where new certification methods for closed-loop recycling and social economy organisations could treat speciality materials at end of life.
The Final Piece: Unlocking the Treasure Chest
With the clues assembled, the map of reuse reveals a circular economy where reusable packaging flows effortlessly, businesses thrive, and waste is minimised. But a map is only the beginning. Now, the real journey begins - uniting stakeholders, testing systems, and proving that the treasure is real.
The quest continues…