November 22, 2022

Global landscape analysis of reuse and refill solutions

Academic journal Frontiers in Sustainability today published peer-reviewed article “Global landscape analysis or reuse and refill solutions” authored by Perpetual team members Ellie Moss and Kristina Gerken together with Dr. Jenna Jambeck and Kathryn Youngblood of the University of Georgia’s Circularity Informatics Lab.

This article describes the findings from the work to create The Living Landscape of Reuse Solutions, as well as insights from a series of interviews and surveys conducted with reuse innovators and other experts on the development of these solutions. The study also highlights barriers and opportunities for reuse and refill solutions to succeed.

“Reuse still feels very theoretical to many people, in spite of the long history of strong reuse solutions and the great progress being made today to establish reuse and refill solutions that meet the demands of modern life,” Moss said. “This research aims to illuminate work that is being done today to shepherd in a new era of reuse and refill success, which is necessary as we continue to understand the unfortunate unintended impacts of single use foodware and packaging, such as waste and pollution, human exposure to chemicals of concern, and greenhouse gas emissions.”

The version of the landscape database used for this paper is available through Frontiers in Sustainability as Supplemental Materials. Researchers who wish to use the updated version of the database for research should contact hello@perpetualuse.org to request a copy.

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About Perpetual

Perpetual is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that is helping businesses, local governments, and communities in four partner cities across the U.S. design and implement city-wide reusable foodware systems. Perpetual’s inclusive, holistic, science-based design process ensures that reuse systems are affordable and accessible to everyone.