per tonne in UK Plastic Packaging Tax from April 2026
Charged on plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content, for businesses making or importing 10 tonnes or more a year. It rises every…
Business case
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business opportunity from moving 20% of plastic packaging to reuse
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s estimate of the market for refill, return and reuse models.
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cheaper per use for returnable drink bottles once plastic and carbon taxes are counted
When a plastic tax and a higher carbon price are included, returnable drink bottles cost 28% less per use than single-use (modelled; packaging fees…
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lower cost per use for returnable drink and personal-care bottles than single-use, in a large shared system
Ellen MacArthur Foundation modelling (2023) of returnable packaging at national scale: drink bottles 6% cheaper per use, personal-care bottles 10% cheaper.
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Reusable surgical gowns: less waste at about the same cost
A peer-reviewed study at a US hospital system found switching to reusable surgical gowns would cut 30,570 pounds of waste a year while saving…
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A university café saved US$157,883 a year by switching to reusable dishes
The University of San Francisco’s Market Café cut 2.6 million pieces of disposable packaging a year and saved US$157,883 net, with no added labour,…
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Plastic pollution lawsuits could cost companies more than US$20 billion in the US alone
The Minderoo Foundation’s analysis estimates expected liabilities from plastic-related litigation in the United States from 2022 to 2030 at more than US$20 billion, with…
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Plastic carries a hidden US$75 billion yearly cost for consumer-goods companies
A UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Trucost study put the natural-capital cost of plastic used by the consumer-goods sector at US$75 billion a year,…
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Moving 20% of plastic packaging to reuse is a US$10 billion business opportunity
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that converting a fifth of plastic packaging to reuse models is worth at least US$10 billion to businesses.
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Reusable transport packaging is cheaper than single-use in most studies
A 2024 review of life-cycle cost studies by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute found reusable packaging cheaper than single-use in most cases, including a…