Berry’s Reusable Cups Support Unprecedented Reuse Project Led by the NextGen Consortium

To support and learn more about reusable cup programs, Berry is participating in the Petaluma Reusable Cup Project, an unprecedented collaboration to drive reuse led by the NextGen Consortium, an industry collaboration managed by Closed Loop Partners' Center for the Circular Economy. Starbucks, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Peet's Coffee, Yum! Brands and other global and local brands and restaurants are partnering in the project. Officially kicked off on August 5, 30 participating large national chains and local independent restaurants in Petaluma, California are making reusable cups the free, default option in their stores. They are activating a shared cup program to provide Petaluma residents with convenient access to reuse in their daily lives.

The Reusable Cup Project places 60 cup return bins across Petaluma for consumers to drop off their cups after use. Once collected, the reusable cups - some of which are supplied by Berry - will be washed and recirculated to participating businesses by logistics company Muuse. This initiative exemplifies the power of collective action to drive circularity in a way that is convenient and accessible for all. It is a critical milestone to accelerate a cultural shift toward reuse.

This collaborative effort is aligned with Berry's best practices for achieving a truly circular reuse model by helping ensure reusable cup durability, functionality, cleanliness, traceability, compliance, ease of return, recyclability, and potential for lower carbon emissions compared to a single-use cup. Made of widely recyclable high-density polyethylene (HDPE), Berry's 24-ounce, cold cups used for the project are part of our B Circular Range of innovative packaging and product solutions designed for circularity to help brand owners meet and exceed their sustainability goals.

The vibrant, purple cups designed by the NextGen Consortium feature user-friendly "Sip, Return, Repeat." branding to help prevent customers from inadvertently disposing of them in trash bins. Each cup has a serialized QR code that enables the NextGen Consortium to analyze where cups were sold, returned, and much more. These data points will help the NextGen Consortium assess the feasibility for scaling the reuse model.

"This trial underscores the importance of partnership within an industry to drive innovation in reuse and advance a circular economy," said Diane Marret, Vice President Sustainability for Berry Global.

Learn more about how to implement successful reusable cup programs and how Berry is partnering with customers to develop innovative product designs for refill and reuse.