Do consumers prefer reuse?
Why yes, they do!
Upstream is often asked by people working to make the case for reuse in their communities if there is any research pointing to a consumer preference for reuse over single-use. The answer is yes—a significant body of evidence indicates that given the choice, people would choose reusable packaging or foodware. We’ve rounded up some frequently cited resources below, and we hope they help you allay any doubts.
But here’s the other side of that coin. At Upstream, we ardently believe that—when it comes to producers at least—there should be no need to prove consumer demand for reusable packaging. In our society, consumers are obligated to buy products in whatever packaging it comes in; we’ve coined a phrase for this recently called “packaging determinism”.* Consumers do not ask for disposable packaging, we are subjected to it by the companies selling us our goods—and through our tax dollars, we are also burdened with getting rid of it (though this is very slowly changing with EPR laws coming online). And so brands should not delay making the right decisions by claiming they are waiting for consumer demand. Producers can do the right thing by making reuse the default and BE the change the world needs.
In the meantime, having research showing that behavior change is not a big barrier to implementing reuse can only help the movement. Indeed, that data exists, and we’re happy to be able to share these resources here. We encourage you to include any others by commenting below.
*Credit to GAIA (The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives) for the inspiration, from their parallel term “technology determinism.”
Resources
Eunomia/City to Sea: Food to go, good to go? (2020)
81% of respondents say sustainability and the environment are now more important to them as a result of the pandemic. People are also willing to pay 12% more for sustainable goods and services if it helps the planet.
Greenpeace: International survey on plastics (2024)
69% of US respondents supported cutting plastic production and around 75% said they would use refillable and reusable packaging if it was more convenient or more cost-effective.
Oceana: Refill Again (2023)
Globally, adoption and demand for refillable beverage containers is high (for instance, 8 of 10 Chilean households prefer the refill models)—and the models are easily transferable to the North American context.
Shelton Group: What middle America knows about plastic pollution and how they’re taking action (2019)
65% of Americans are concerned/very concerned about plastic in the ocean (higher than their concerns about climate change) and want to abandon their consumption of it.
Trivium Packaging: Global Buying Green Report: Preference for Sustainable Packaging Remains Strong in a Changing World (2022)
74% of Americans are interested in buying products in refillable packaging.
World Economic Forum: The Climate Progress Survey: Business and Consumer Worries and Hopes (2021)
North Americans, along with global consumers in all other regions, believe the "most adoptable zero-waste lifestyle practice" is choosing products with reusable packaging.
World Wildlife Fund: Public Opinion Surrounding Plastic Consumption and Waste Management of Consumer Packaging (2022)
WWF found nearly 50% of Americans have a positive impression of returnable container programs, and an additional 30% have a neutral impression. A majority of respondents would be likely to try a returnable container program if it was offered at a store or restaurant they frequently visit.
Zero Waste Europe: Packaging-free shops in Europe (2020)
Examines the growth potential for package-free shops in Europe specifically, but many of the learnings are applicable in a North American context.
If you’d like to provide feedback on this post so that we can make sure we are delivering quality content, please do so below. If you’d like to share a resource to add to the above list, you can scroll down to the public comments below this survey. Thank you!