From beer bottles to takeaway: packaging reuse is conquering new markets
Belgian Reuse Barometer 2026: Belgium has the know-how and the infrastructure, but new reuse projects are struggling to scale up
A reusable coffee cup, mushrooms in a tray with a deposit, pasta or detergent you pour into your own container: there is no shortage of packaging reuse examples. Yet in Belgium, new reuse systems are still struggling to reach the scale of established systems such as the well-known reusable glass beer bottles. That is the conclusion drawn by Fost Plus and ConsomAction in the second edition of their Belgian Reuse Barometer, which tracks bulk and reuse in Belgium. Belgium has the knowledge, technology and infrastructure it needs, but innovations in retail, takeaway and e-commerce are still in their infancy and have yet to scale up.
Belgium is one of Europe’s best performers in recycling: in 2024, 83.2% of its packaging waste was recycled, compared with an EU average of 67%¹. But recycling alone is not enough. Even though the amount of single-use household packaging placed on the market has already fallen in recent years, this decline needs to continue².
That is why prevention and reuse are becoming increasingly important: two levers that bring together Fost Plus (the organisation that coordinates the recycling and reuse of household packaging in Belgium) and ConsomAction (the Belgian federation of players in sustainable consumption and the circular economy).
A change in mindset
The new European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is meant to bring about a change in mindset and give reuse a boost, with clear prevention and reuse targets for transport packaging, e-commerce, beverage packaging, the hospitality sector (takeaway) and retail.
Belgium is not starting from scratch: in 2025, 43% of the household packaging placed on the market was reusable, by weight. This is mainly thanks to glass beer and soft-drink bottles, which have shown for decades that reuse works at scale³. The challenge now is to extend that success to other sectors.
Valerie Bruyninckx, Fost Plus: “Bottles, crates and pallets show that reuse can work at scale. The challenge now is to apply the same logic of deposits, shared transport and logistics to takeaway, retail and e-commerce. Whether these new sectors manage to scale up will determine whether Belgium can also join Europe’s leading group in reuse.”
Pilot projects work, but scaling up needs to accelerate
For new reuse projects, the problem is not technology but volume. That is the main finding of the latest Belgian Reuse Barometer, which surveyed players in reuse, bulk and packaging-free retail. The main obstacles? Too many systems still operate in isolation, each with its own packaging, return points and logistics. As a result, volumes stay low and costs stay high.
Sylvie Droulans, ConsomAction: “Some industrial washing facilities are running at less than 10% of their capacity. The challenge is to get far more packaging circulating through that system and coming back. A simple return system and a clear incentive such as a deposit make a big difference: with a deposit, more than 90% of packaging comes back; without one, it is often less than 50%. The way forward is clear: one shared, standardised packaging, one simple return system and sufficient scale. Not every solution in its own corner, but systems that everyone can use. Organisations such as ConsomAction and Fost Plus are there to support this collaboration between models and to help reuse grow in Belgium.”
At the same time, there is a noticeable gap between consumers’ willingness and their actual behaviour. Almost 9 in 10 Belgians (87%) say they are in favour of returning reusable packaging to a return point⁴. Yet the companies surveyed cite low consumer demand as one of the main obstacles. What is missing, then, is not so much willingness as access and habit.
For packaging reuse to keep growing, the reuse companies surveyed above all call for stronger legislation that stimulates reuse, and better enforcement of it (88%). Financial support (59%) and awareness-raising (56%) come next. Bulk retailers put awareness-raising first (71%).
Reuse as a springboard for the bulk revolution
The main change compared with the 2025 edition is that bulk and reuse are increasingly converging. In 2025, 24% of the bulk retailers surveyed offered a reusable container to customers who arrived without their own. In 2026, the figure has risen to 45%. This removes a major practical barrier to bulk shopping. The next challenge lies further up the supply chain: suppliers, too, need to be able to deliver their products in reusable packaging more often.
Valerie Bruyninckx, Fost Plus: “Moving to reuse systems at scale requires clear and consistent rules of the game, but also more collaboration and knowledge-sharing between sectors. At Fost Plus, we support companies in applying the new rules, we bring together the lessons learned from different projects, and we work with them to find models that can operate on a larger scale. With pilot projects such as Repasys for mushroom trays with a deposit, or Reusable Bag in e-commerce, we are testing what works in the field. Time is running out: by 2030, producers and supermarkets will need to be ready to offer reuse at scale. Those who start today will be one step ahead tomorrow.”
The PPWR has applied since 12 August 2026, and the first concrete obligations are fast approaching.
What will the PPWR change?
- 2027 – Takeaway: customers will be able to bring their own container.
- 2028 – Takeaway: a reusable packaging option must be offered.
- 2030 – At least 10% of certain beverages will be offered in reusable packaging.
- 2030 – No more single-use plastic packaging for fresh fruit and vegetables under 1.5 kg (with a few exceptions).
- 2030 – Shops larger than 400 m² will have to strive to dedicate 10% of their sales area to refill and bulk stations.
- 2030, 2035, 2040 – 5% to 15% less packaging waste per capita than in 2018.
TESTIMONIAL // OHNE: “Packaging-free shopping should become the most natural thing in the world again”
At OHNE, a cooperative with five stores across Flanders, customers can do their everyday shopping without single-use packaging. Those who don't bring their own jars or bottles can use a deposit-return jar instead. “Many people are still not used to bringing their own containers, so reaching a wider audience remains a challenge,” explains Sophie Deren from OHNE. “But there’s also work to be done behind the scenes. We want suppliers to deliver their products more frequently in bulk or in reusable packaging. Because if we really want to reduce packaging waste, the entire supply chain needs to get on board. Our ambition? To make packaging-free shopping the norm, not just at OHNE, but eventually in conventional supermarkets too.”
TESTIMONIAL // DUVEL MOORTGAT: “The Steinie bottle: a tried-and-tested model for reuse”
At Duvel Moortgat, reusing glass bottles has been standard practice for decades. The well-known 33 cl Steinie bottle, used by several Belgian breweries, is a prime example. After consumption, these deposit-return bottles are collected, sorted, washed and inspected before being refilled.
“Belgium has a strong tradition of reusable beer bottles. The Steinie bottle is a great example: a standardised bottle that can be used and refilled multiple times by different breweries. At Duvel Moortgat, we continuously invest in maximising reuse, including through multiple quality control checkpoints and a bottle-washing machine capable of cleaning up to 60,000 bottles per hour. But there is certainly still room for improvement. It starts with consumers returning their empty deposit bottles rather than throwing them into glass recycling containers. The brewing industry also has an important responsibility. Today, we still have to reject perfectly reusable bottles far too often because their labels are not compatible with our washing equipment. Further maximising reuse therefore requires a collective effort: from consumers returning their bottles to breweries adopting standardised bottles and labels with washable adhesives.”
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¹ Eurostat, recycling rate of packaging waste 2024 (ten00063), https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ten00063/default/table?lang=en
² Single-use household packaging declared by Fost Plus members: 806 kilotonnes in 2021, 761 kilotonnes in 2022, 734 kilotonnes in 2023, 734 kilotonnes in 2024 and 731 kilotonnes in 2025 (Fost Plus figures; 2025: Activity Report 2025).
³ Fost Plus figures 2025, https://www.fostplus.be/en/about-fost-plus/who-we-are
⁴ Fost Plus Environmental Barometer 2024, conducted by Ipsos (online survey of 1,000 Belgians, June–September 2024).
About The Belgian Reuse Barometer
The Belgian Reuse Barometer, which tracks bulk and reuse in Belgium, is a collaboration between Fost Plus and ConsomAction. It was developed within the framework of the European Reuse Barometer by Zero Waste Europe, New Era, Verpact and Valipac. This second edition maps the economic, social and practical development of reuse and bulk in Belgium. The results are based on a sample of 48 companies active in reuse and bulk in Belgium.
About Fost Plus
Fost Plus is the organisation that coordinates the recycling and reuse of household packaging in Belgium. Since 1994, working with citizens, companies, public authorities and experts, it has ensured that the household packaging placed on the market by its some 5,000 members is collected and recycled. In doing so, it fulfils their Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Today, Fost Plus is also fully committed to prevention and reuse: less packaging, better eco-design and reusable solutions. In this way, it contributes to the circular economy and to a cleaner living environment for all.
About ConsomAction
Founded in 2022, ConsomAction is the Belgian federation of players in responsible consumption and the circular economy: bulk and packaging reuse, ethical and sustainable. ConsomAction brings together Belgian professionals and consumers, mainly French-speaking, and defines its missions by and for its members. ConsomAction campaigns for and raises awareness of resource preservation and waste reduction, acts as the voice of the sector towards public authorities and the media, and supports businesses in adopting more sustainable practices.
Lisa Kaspers
Valerie Bruyninckx
Sylvie Droulans