Takeaways from the first Next-Gen Reuse Corridor at PACK EXPO International
The packaging trade show PACK EXPO International just made history. Held from October 18-21 in Chicago, IL, this 2026 convening was the largest yet — bringing 2,700+ exhibitors and professionals from 40+ vertical industries together across 1.3 million net square feet at McCormick Place.
Even more historical? B2B services that enable front-of-house and consumer-facing reuse systems made their debut at the show. Upstream, in partnership with Reusable Packaging Association, organized the Next-Gen Reuse Corridor, a new consumer-sector reuse section of the Reusable Packaging Pavilion (which had previously focused solely on transport packaging). Seven reuse companies exhibited alongside Upstream and PR3 to introduce CPG brands and procurement teams to the full ecosystem of reuse solutions for EPR compliance and for transforming their product packaging.
Having a presence at such a massive convening is a big step for the reuse movement. Reuse service providers are viable players in the packaging industry, and it’s crucial for stakeholders to not only understand that but to see them in action.
What was the action like at PACK EXPO? Here’s what we observed.
The Next-Gen Reuse Corridor at PACK EXPO International 2026.
The Hits
The Next-Gen Reuse Corridor made an impression and showed a new audience of CPG and retail decision makers that other ways are possible when it comes to packaging — the primary goal for the Corridor’s first year. It attracted attendees to PACK EXPO who came specifically for the Corridor, and allowed reuse service providers to engage not only with packaging stakeholders but with each other.
An Opportunity to Connect
Multiple exhibitors remarked on the value of connecting with other reuse companies in person, specifically companies with different expertise and places within the reuse system. Universal standards and a global reuse symbol are key parts of growing, strengthening, and aligning the reuse industry — but so, too, is community. Opportunities to intentionally gather are vital for consumer sector reuse, which does not yet have its own trade association.
Location, Location, Location
The Corridor was situated near the Reusable Packaging Learning Center stage, where speakers presented throughout PACK EXPO — providing a natural funnel of interested passers-by. We intentionally designed the Corridor without walls between exhibitors to create a more open forum for interaction, successfully portraying a unified sector rather than siloed individual businesses.
A Unifying Color for the Reuse Industry
Not only did the Corridor prominently feature the new universal reuse symbol, it was all decked out in the symbol’s signature purple. The purple truly popped — drawing people in, sparking conversation, and doing its intended job of giving reuse a signature, memorable identity.
Upstream CEO Crystal Dreisbach presenting at the Reusable Packaging Learning Center.
Not Quite Hits Yet
The reuse systems practitioners and advocates representing the Corridor gained some valuable insights into the current state of the larger packaging industry. Perhaps not surprisingly, we’ve got work to do.
The Knowledge Gap
First and foremost, basic awareness of reuse systems remains minimal. Many attendees did not realize that many dozens of wash hubs capable of washing reusable packaging at scale are already established across the US and Canada — instead assuming that washing remains a barrier to scaling reuse. The real barrier is getting in front of and educating the key decision makers who can provide the contracts with RSPs that create tipping points for interoperable reuse in communities nationwide. The Next-Gen Reuse Corridor made the size of this knowledge chasm clear while at the same time beginning to close the gap.
The RSP-Producer Gap
A major undercurrent — and explicit topic of panel discussions — across PACK EXPO was the packaging EPR laws that are beginning to roll out across the US, and the implications those laws have for packaging producers.
Reusable packaging systems can eliminate the need for producers to juggle all the other calculations and considerations of single-use — like material swapping, right-sizing, and navigating PCR content — while setting them up for streamlined compliance across the board as more states adopt EPR regulations.
RSPs know this. Brands who need to comply with EPR regulations do not. And neither side is fully aware of the funding made available for building reuse systems by certain state laws, like in Oregon, Washington, and Minnesota. How to close this knowledge gap while connecting RSPs to producers who need to comply with EPR laws is a question Upstream is taking on as compliance deadlines approach.
The Reusable Foodware Gap
While the Next-Gen Reuse Corridor was there to present reusable packaging solutions for the CPG space, a walk over to the Sustainable Foodware section of PACK EXPO revealed yet another gap. Examples of biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable foodware abounded, while reusable foodware was nonexistent. The sheer number of vendors compounding the take-make-waste model with false solutions shows that while companies do want more sustainable options, it is easy for good intentions to be led astray by a flood of alternative single-use items.
This section of the expo revealed another manifestation of the knowledge gap — not to mention the gap in the marketing budgets of well established single-use foodware vendors and nascent reuse companies.
Looking Ahead
Reuse service providers and advocates alike are working hard to shift well-established norms. A full corridor dedicated to reusable packaging solutions in a space as influential as PACK EXPO represents a stride forward, even while it highlighted the work we still have to do.
With regulatory tailwinds, a multiplicity of large-scale reuse projects, and the reuse industry aligning around international standards, a tipping point for reuse feels inevitable. Bringing the players together at events like PACK EXPO helps us align and drive momentum toward the era when reusable packaging is the rule rather than the exception.
Spreading the word about reusable packaging systems at PACK EXPO.
The Next-Gen Reuse Corridor was organized by Upstream and sponsored by deSter, Surgere, Nexus Source, and Office Furniture Center — in partnership with Reusable Packaging Association. Exhibitors of the debut Next-Gen Reuse Corridor included Wonderfil, Returnr, Loop, Sykell, Vytal, Returnity, 99Bridges, Upstream, and PR3.
