The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that converting a fifth of plastic packaging to reuse models is worth at least US$10 billion to businesses.
- Authors / organisation
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation
- Year
- 2019
- Journal or publisher
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation (report)
- Study type
- Institutional report
- Evidence strength
- Evidence: Medium
- Sample / scope
- Global estimate of the reuse market opportunity
- Key finding
- Converting 20% of plastic packaging into reuse models is a US$10 billion business opportunity.
- Headline number
- US$10 billion opportunity from 20% reuse
- Caveats / how it is misquoted
- Top-down market estimate; the method is not detailed on the report page. Foundation partners include large consumer-goods brands.
- Open access
- Yes
- Verified on
- 23 September 2026
In Reuse – Rethinking Packaging (2019), the Ellen MacArthur Foundation set out how refill, return and product-as-a-service models work in practice, with dozens of company examples, and estimated that converting 20% of plastic packaging to reuse models is a US$10 billion business opportunity.
The figure is a market-size estimate, not a saving any single company will see. Its value is in showing that reuse is a place where new revenue is being made, from refill stations and subscription models to pooled container services.
