Amcor has joined a major city-scale reusable packaging pilot launching in Ottawa in 2026, as global brands and retailers test whether reuse systems can operate at scale and complement existing recycling pathways.
As the packaging sector sharpens its focus on circularity, reuse is slowly gaining traction, now viewed as a necessary, albeit complex, next step. To date, reuse has lagged behind recycling as the first choice for circular systems, struggling to progress beyond pilots and niche trials, largely due to the challenges of convenience, cost, logistics and consumer participation.
City-scale initiatives are now emerging as a way to bridge that gap. By testing reuse across multiple retailers, brands and product categories within a single urban environment, these projects aim to generate credible, real-world learnings on whether reuse can function as a viable, scalable model alongside recycling. The newly announced Reuse City Canada Project in Ottawa is among the most ambitious examples to date.
Led by The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), in collaboration with delivery partner Reposit, the initiative will launch in Ottawa in Q3 2026. It brings together major retailers, global brands and solution providers to test how shared reuse systems can operate within existing retail infrastructure. Its aim is to generate insights that can be replicated in other cities and markets.
Under the Reuse City Canada Project, consumers will be able to purchase selected everyday products, including personal care and home care items, in durable, reusable packaging at participating stores. A small refundable deposit will apply, with empty packs returned via shared in-store return points once the product has been used.
Returned packaging will be collected, professionally cleaned and placed back into circulation for reuse. The system incorporates shared return infrastructure, reverse logistics, professional washing facilities and integrated data systems, supported by clear and standardised return messaging in both English and French.
Participating retailers and brands include Loblaw, L’Oréal, P&G, Shoppers Drug Mart, Superstore, Unilever, Walmart Canada and Your Independent Grocer. Solution partners supporting the project include Amcor and Avery Dennison, alongside Canadian circular economy partners Circulr and IBM.
Reposit is responsible for system design, build and day-to-day operations, working with participating retailers, brands and solution providers to deliver a consistent consumer experience while enabling businesses to test a shared approach to reuse across multiple store formats.
CGF has emphasised that reuse is intended to complement other circular solutions. The project aims to reduce reliance on single-use packaging for selected product categories, while continuing to support recycling systems for packaging that cannot be reused.
Amcor corporate sustainability director Larissa Sakamoto said the collaboration reflects the scale of partnership required to make reuse viable. “Amcor is proud to join this city-wide reusable packaging collaboration alongside major brands and retailers to test reuse systems at scale,” Sakamoto said. “Partnerships like these will be key to unlocking meaningful progress and, ultimately, drive a circular economy for packaging.”
Cédric Dever, director of the Plastic Waste Coalition of Action at CGF, said the Ottawa initiative represents a step change in collective action.
“Changing our collective relationship with plastic requires collaboration and creative new approaches,” Dever said. “This project shows how retailers, brands and system enablers can align efforts to deliver reuse at city scale and generate credible evidence of what works.”
Reposit founder and CEO Stuart Chidley said moving from single-use to reuse demands systemic change across the value chain. “This collaboration is about designing the infrastructure and incentives that make reuse accessible for everyone,” Chidley said. “It is an important step toward building a circular system that works at scale.”
The Reuse City Canada Project is being funded in part by the Government of Canada, Handelens Miljofond and the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund, and delivered with support from the Canada Plastics Pact.
Consumer-facing communications will roll out closer to launch, while non-confidential learnings will be shared with industry and policy stakeholders.
For packaging suppliers, converters and brand owners, the Ottawa pilot will be closely watched – not just for consumer uptake, but for what it reveals about cost, logistics, data integration and cross-brand collaboration. As reuse continues to move from theory to practice, city-scale trials like this may play a critical role in defining how reuse can sit alongside recycling in the next phase of circular packaging systems.
