Mainstreaming reuse systems across Europe
ReuSe Vanguard Project (RSVP)
Recycling has benefitted from too much attention and that the solution to the (plastic) pollution crisis lies now mostly in prevention and reuse. However industry, media and policy making still put their focus on waste collection and recycling. The RSVP project aims to put reusable systems in the center of the solutions agenda and create the conditions for scaling up these systems across Europe.” – Nathan Dufour, Consumption & Production Programme Manager at Zero Waste Europe
About RSVP
Currently, most packaging is single-use, and disposability is deeply rooted in our linear economy. Scientific evidence and the waste hierarchy prove that reuse is preferable to recycling and any kind of disposal. However, as of today, consumer systems are wired to favour disposability despite the evidence that, even if we managed to collect all the waste and recycle it, it would still be widely unsustainable.
We believe that transition from disposability to reuse has to happen for most of today’s current single-use applications and we aim to change the whole packaging landscape in the long run. However, this transition will take time and the Reuse Vanguard Project intends to get us moving in the right direction. This project seeks to create the conditions for big-scale change to reusables to happen in the near future and apply surgical interventions in targeted market segments to get the shift started.
Learn more about RSVP with our presentation.
RSVP Project Partners
If you are interested in learning more about RSVP or explore ways to collaborate with the project, don’t hesitate to reach out to Nathan Dufour, RSVP Project Coordinator.
Check the #GetBack campaign page for more information about our asks on making reuse the norm across Europe.
