From a single-use to a cooperative logic: the Balearic Islands reflect on the path towards reuse in the hospitality sector

In October, Rezero brought together in Inca (Balearic Islands) leading experts in the field of packaging reuse from Germany, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. More than sixty people attended this event aimed at the hospitality sector to dispel doubts about a model change that offers significant benefits for the industry.

The BIT Centre in Inca was the setting for a crucial debate on the future of waste management in the Balearic Islands. Organised by Rezero, the event on 13 October brought together more than sixty participants – from politicians and hoteliers to wineries and European experts – to address the urgency and feasibility of implementing reusable packaging systems in the hospitality sector.

The event had one clear conclusion: the transition to reuse is inevitable, and public-private cooperation is the only way to overcome the logistical challenges.

Conference speakers, institutional representatives, and members of Rezero

Institutional commitment: a necessary change of course

The event opened with the words of the Director General of the Balearic Islands Tourist Strategy Agency (AETIB), Pere Joan Planas Mulet, who encouraged embracing sustainability ‘as an end in itself, and not as a simple slogan’.

Planas called for leveraging the Islands’ tourism leadership to become a benchmark for circularity: ‘Society is calling for a new model. To continue generating wellbeing, we must innovate, become leaders in the field of circularity and make it a hallmark of our tourism.’ He highlighted that actions such as improving the water cycle and the efficient management of organic waste and packaging are essential for quality tourism.

Diego Viu, Director General of Circular Economy, Energy Transition and Climate Change, framed the day’s events within the regulatory context: the pioneering Balearic Islands Waste Law (2019) and the imminent implementation of a deposit, return and refund system (DRRS) by the Ministry. This is a clear paradigm shift and a framework in which Viu invites us to ‘think like our grandparents’ and to turn waste, currently a problem, into an opportunity and a resource.

Europe’s lesson: the key is reverse logistics

The highlight of the day was the international experts panel debunking the myth around the unviability of reuse.

Tobias Bieleinstein during his speech at the conference

Tobias Bieleinstein

Tobias Bieleinstein, Director of Public Affairs, Sustainability and Communications at Genossenschaft Deutscher Brunnen eG (Germany), stressed that economic studies show that reuse systems (especially for glass) are better than single-use systems. Bieleinstein directly challenged those present: “My question is: what are you waiting for to cooperate and lead the adaptation?’ It will bring lower costs, better packaging, and a better reputation.’’

Muriel Chatel and Liam Bond Deacon

Muriel Chatel (United Kingdom) and Liam Bond Deacon (France) shared the wine sector’s experience. Representing Sustainable Wine Solutions, Chatel explained how reverse logistics of reusable bottles was the key to success, allowing more budget to be dedicated to the quality of the wine rather than its packaging. Speaking on behalf of Ecoscience Provence, Deacon presented the case of La Consigne de Provence and argued that the Provençal returnable packaging model is profitable for all stakeholders; and that the Balearic island setting is ‘ideal for testing and experimenting the reuse system’.

Nathan Dufour

Zero Waste Europe’s Nathan Dufour concluded the panel with a pan-European perspective by presenting the Reuse Vanguard Project (RSVP), a programme for reusable take-away. Dufour emphasised the importance of ‘creating the conviction for this system change’ and the need to find key sectors to implement simple and replicable solutions.

Zoe Cimatti

Zoe Cimatti, Head of Waste Prevention and Management for Geneva, highlighted a system change that must also be accompanied by awareness-raising and marketing campaigns. The ‘Emportons malin’ campaign, easing the use of reusable tableware in the take-away sector in Geneva, is an example of coordinated action between the public administration and the private sector to make reuse the default option for take-away food and drink. It demonstrates that systemic change and the transformation of consumption habits are more than viable.

Numerous international packaging reuse initiatives demonstrate the viability and advantages of this model

The Balearic challenge: creating the reuse ecosystem

Rezero highlighted the pioneering work already carried out in the Islands with the Take Away Retornable and reWINE projects. Marta Beltran, Rezero’s International Strategy Director and head of its Health division, concluded that the future of the Islands calls for progress in what we call reuse ecosystems: ‘Building infrastructure, logistics circuits and involving all stakeholders in the production, distribution and consumption chain, with the support of organisations like Rezero and the authorities’.

Beltran pointed out that insularity is an advantage in this context, as it facilitates the creation of closed and efficient circuits, especially with local products such as wine. Rezero’s public survey shows that 84% of Mallorca residents want to use reusable packaging – proof of public demand and the way forward.

Next steps

The event also included joint breakout group discussions to encourage debate, exchange experiences, and foster cross-sectoral cooperation. The collaborative work with the different Balearic sectors will continue in the coming months to promote the reuse of containers through Rezero’s Take Away Retornable and reWINE projects.

Breakout group discussions at the event

The day concluded with evidence that the technical and economic viability of returnable packaging is more than proven. With institutional support (also represented at the event by the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Agriculture) and the hospitality sector’s interest in circularity strategies, the Balearic Islands are in an ideal position to become a tourism trailblazer

Blog post originally published in Catalan on Rezero’s website.